“I, however, place economy among the first and most important republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared.”
“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”
-Thomas Jefferson
Even liberals are prone to being effusive about the intellect and perspicacity of Thomas Jefferson. That is, until they actually look at the results of that intellect, other than the magnificent but necessarily broad Declaration of Independence. JFK, when reasonably sober and taking a break from his non-stop sexual predation, once opined to his dinner guests that this was as intelligent a group as has ever been in this room, except when Thomas Jefferson dined alone. He was, of course, pretending to be erudite and witty, perhaps achieving the latter.
In any event, reading the Jefferson quotes above, even those “educated” in government schools must admit that he and the Founders feared an overbearing central government. Given that the federal government has and requires the powers enumerated in the Constitution, most of our trouble stems from “emergency” or other lamely-excused deviations and expansions therefrom. It started with Dishonest Abe, who found it convenient to ignore Supreme Court rulings, borrow enormous sums of money for his war, throw inconvenient individuals in jail for impure thoughts, and was fine-tuned by FDR. FDR discovered how easy it was to buy votes with tax dollars; he never stopped, and his war opened the floodgates. Not for nothing did Bismarck opine that “War is the health of the state.” Here is a small but significant point about Lincoln’s war: Prior to it, one referred to these United States; after, the United States. States’ rights never recovered; nor is there much hope they will.
Had we remained vigilant about the enumerated powers of our Constitution, none of the problems that now threaten our nation would exist. We would have fought no undeclared wars, created no welfare state, or have any national debt. Hard to imagine, but true.
By example, the disgraceful pandering and nakedly political theater accompanying hurricane Sandy’s leavings in NY/NJ should make us all ill. Why a cab driver’s children in Omaha or a factory worker’s child in Topeka should pay to bail them out is the unasked question…construed to be rude, one imagines. Obama/Christie/Cuomo et al. simply posture and whine about Republican lack of compassion, and the money spigot opens.
Every problem we have in this country is a function of bloated central government and the unctuous tyrants and tyrant wannabes that inhabit it. There would be no lobbyists in DC, and most politicians would leave after a term or two, probably bored and eager to get back to work, absent the aggregation of power and money in DC. Since, however, the aforementioned and their sycophants are there to make or implement all manner of laws that may benefit one industry or company at the expense of others. Ergo, every major industry or group feels as though it needs a presence.
The true horror is that since the bills will be borne by our children as opposed to being paid currently, the voting public chooses to avert its collective eyes. That will go on until there is a catastrophe (Weimar Germany, anyone?), then Obama et al. will blame it on George Bush and begin plans to suspend the Constitution.
We voted for more of him and more of it, but our children and grandchildren will bear the burden. It is truly disgraceful; parents used to leave assets to their children. Now they leave their debts.
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