Absolute Power

My dear readers,

I recently re-read the Constitution of the United States of America. That'll shoot your blood pressure into the rafters. I was reluctant at first to post anything about what I read, since I was so upset. Not to mention, my mind refused to take a single simple path and follow it to its end.

But then, a friend of mine, whose political views have been labeled "radical", convinced me of the necessity, not just importance, of posting what was on my mind. Thus, today's blog post is concerned mostly with the Constitutional rights of the Government, and how they have utterly and completely screwed up their end of the deal.

Our Founding Fathers where a group of men dedicated to the idea that all men and women deserved the right to live their lives with out interference of government. They believed that all men had been given this right by "their Creator", therefore, completely inalienable or unable to be ignored or taken away. This is why the Constitution was written. It is "not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, is is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." (Patrick Henry) 

And yet, it seems that the further we get from the Ratification of the Constitution, the more the government seems to forget that.

The American people tend to think that it is completely within the Constitutional Right of the Government, for the government to completely run and regulate our lives. For instance, the FDA. Or the IRS.

The FDA wasn't brought into effect until 1906. It doesn't say anywhere in the Constitution that the government has the right to regulate our food. The IRS, though formed in 1862, was meant to be a temporary war-time tax. In 1894, it was declared un-Constitutional. But in 1913, we had the ratification of the 16th Amendment, which allows for income tax. That's fine, but at the time, only incomes of more then $3,000 where required to file. Today, adjusting for inflation, that amount would be $68,612. But the income level to file is, in actuality, $9,350. How is that fair?

But, back to the point. The Constitution was written to define the roles of each part of the government. And now? It seems as though the Constitution has been thrown out the figurative window.

The role of the Federal Government is, as defined by Article 1, Section 8 are as follows:

1. To borrow Money

2. To regulate Commerce

3. To decide citizenship

4. To regulate currency and punish those who counterfeit said currency

5. To establish what is now the US Postal Service

6. To create copy right laws

7. To create what is now the Court System

8. To define and punish piracy on the "high seas"

9. To Declare and regulate our own Wars

10. To raise and support an Army

11. To raise and maintain a Navy

12. To make rules and laws about maintaining said Army and Navy

13. To make there is a system for protection in place in case of war, rebellion, etc

14. Maintaining that system

15.To be the final word in Government over our country
16. To make laws that are necessary for the functioning of this country.


Basically, government is supposed to regulate commerce and protect the country. That's about it.


And what have they chosen to do? Regulate the lives we live in every possible way and call it protection. Epic fail, right?


See, according to the Constitutions, they have no right to tax you unless it is for things like maintaining the Army or Navy. But, if you take a look at every single one of your receipts, you'll notice a little something at the bottom, called tax. And what do they use that money for? Only about a fifth of it goes towards military.

But I'm getting off track....My point is very simple. The government is far to large for its own good. It has to much power, more power then was ever intended in the Constitution, because, out of fear, we gave it to them. In the name of protection and serving justice and seeking retribution, we gave up essential freedoms out lined for us by the Constitution in the roles of the Government. 


They don't have the right to take your money and call it tax, but use it for something completely other then what it should be used for.

They don't have a right to tell you that you must have health care and call it helping the less fortunate.

They don't have a right to tap your phones or track your whereabouts and call it National Security.


And they definitely don't have a right to limit the internet and freedom of speech and call it copy right laws.

Now...I'm off my figurative expounding plank, but let me just add: Government that has to much power will not just use. But they abuse it. No matter how good you think a man is, he will always be corrupted by power. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and great men are almost always bad man." (Lord Acton). Because our Founding Fathers where Great Men, they recognized that power would corrupt them, if given the chance. This was the reason they wrote safe guards into the Constitution. To protect them, us, and future generations from the corruption of power.

And now, my dear readers, it is time for your question of the day:
Do you think I'm blowing smoke when I say the government has gone to far, or are they just doing what is necessary to keep the country going?


Any thoughts or comments, as always, are appreciated. (They let me know you are there, and you are listening)


Much Love,

The Wondering Mind