Posts Tagged ‘Federal government of the United States’
Unlimited power – Part IV
“If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.” – W. C. Fields
Though I hope this quote refers to the following Supreme Court rulings, some might suggest it better refers to my assessment of the rulings.
The beginning of the end – Part II
Three Supreme Court rulings changed our lives, making our Constitution near irrelevant. One gave the Supreme Court unlimited, unchecked power; the other two gave Congress unlimited power.
The path to socialism – Part I
“We do not have socialism. We have regulated capitalism.” – ISJ reader comment
Is that true? Is it all or none? Or is the path to socialism a process so slow that each individual step is logical, masking the eventual outcome and encouraging inattention and indifference until it’s too late? More important, if we are not yet socialist, is our federal government still the limited government the founding fathers created with the United States Constitution?
Sanctuary cities and Arizona
Among the limited powers of the federal government are matters of immigration and border security. However, the government seems unable to carry out these constitutional responsibilities, seemingly incapable of doing what the Constitution mandates.
Football and government
The federal government could learn a lot from professional football – teams competing with each other, each team doing all it can to win, referees ensuring they follow the rules, together part of a league whose owners have the final say on the rules and how the league works.
Another price of ignoring our borders
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said Arizona’s treatment of illegal aliens “violates inalienable human rights.” And Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderon, recently rebuked the United States Congress, saying Arizona’s illegal alien law is a “threat to civil rights and democracy.” When did living in a country illegally become an inalienable human right, a civil right?
Racism or common sense?
Reading about Arizona’s new law dealing with illegal aliens, I got the impression that Arizona had done something radical by requiring non-citizens to carry documents proving their legal status in our country. Not so. The new Arizona law only enforces existing federal law, the Alien Registration Act passed by Congress in 1940. Arizona is only enforcing federal law the federal government refuses to enforce. This is an act of necessity, of common sense and is Arizona’s latest attempt to deal with 450,000 criminals in the state. Remember, illegal aliens are criminals, not undocumented immigrants.
It’s our choice
“The real problem is in the hearts and minds of men. It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.” Albert Einstein
Who really has the power?
“The United States Constitution has proved itself
the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules
of government ever written.”
–President Franklin Roosevelt
Who has the power – government or “we the people”
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article
of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress
of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money
of their constituents.”
–James Madison, 4th U.S. President
father of the United States Constitution
How to finance the U.S.S.A.
What did the Founding Fathers design our government to provide? Did they design a limited federal government to provide safety, freedom and opportunity? Or did they design a socialist welfare government to take care of our every need with unending entitlement programs?
Is the government the new “company store?”
How well does the government manage our money? Do our elected leaders spend it responsibly and frugally, as they should? Sen. Charles Schumer answered these questions saying, “Let me say this to all the chattering class that so much focuses on those little, tiny, yes, porky amendments: ‘the American people really don’t care.’” He was speaking about the wasted spending, the pork, in the $787 billion stimulus package. How much of the $787 billion actually stimulates the economy? According to the Wall Street Journal, only 12 percent “is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus.”
Who are the ‘real’ terrorists?
The editorial page cartoon in the April 27, 2009, USA Today showed Uncle Sam saying, “Will you ever stop torturing me,” while he is whipping a helpless terrorist strapped on a table.
Socialism or democracy – we choose
Who should pay taxes and how much of their income should they pay in taxes? What is fair? Should everyone pay the same percentage of their income in taxes, or should the percentage increase as their income increases? If everyone paid the same percentage of their income in taxes, the more you earned the more taxes you would pay. That seems more than fair. Our government thinks not. Our government believes those who earn more should pay not only more in total taxes but also pay a higher percentage of their income as well.
Who should pay to rebuild following natural disasters?
Did our Founding Fathers intend for the government to take care of us when a disaster strikes? Is the federal government the correct resource for disasters? Is managing the aftermath of disasters a Constitutional responsibility of the federal government? Do individuals or local communities have any responsibility? Is the government the most efficient and cost effective entity to offer aid to communities and help them rebuild?
We need to return to a citizen government
Our Founding Fathers believed serving as President or in Congress was a duty to country, a sacrifice for country, a calling. They did not anticipate Congress becoming a career choice with members subservient to the power of the incumbency and the money it attracts. Rather, the Founding Fathers intended a weak federal government, subservient to much stronger state governments that served a powerful citizenry. Thomas Jefferson resisted all attempts to foster a strong federal government, adamant the power must rest with the people. What went wrong? Does the power rest with the people, as it should? Does Congress do the peoples’ work? The movie Charlie Wilson’s War explains how well Congress tends to the people. Asked by a political activist, “Why do congressmen talk so much and do nothing,” Charlie Wilson responded, “Tradition mostly.” The Founding Fathers intended a citizen government, run by people like you and me, serving our country, doing the peoples’ work, and then going home.
Civility in presidential politics
Will civility ever return to presidential campaigns? Is it reasonable to hope for respectful debating? Or, are we obliged to accept the mudslinging as a given in politics? What would our founding fathers think if they were to witness one of today’s presidential campaigns? Would they be impressed or would they be embarrassed? Can we ever return to the ethical debating they so prized?
What to do about illegal aliens?
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is challenging a federal government plan to use the Social Security Administration’s “no match” rule to crack down on illegal aliens. Currently they send “no match” letters to employers who have more than 10 employees with a mismatch between their name and their social security number. Previously, there were no incentives for employers to respond, allowing them to ignore these letters. The new plan from Homeland Security would give the employer 90 days to resolve the mismatch, fire the employee, or face legal consequences. The chamber is concerned there will be a significant financial impact on industries that employ large numbers of illegal aliens. They also are concerned that requiring industries to comply with the law will create costly paperwork and procedures. But, the Social Security Administration only sends mismatch letters to employers with 10 or more mismatches. Are we to believe employers with large numbers of illegal workers are unaware they are hiring illegal aliens? How much sympathy does a company deserve when knowingly employing illegal aliens?
Allow our military to fight the terrorists
Albert Einstein said, “I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” He believed World War III would be nuclear annihilation returning us to the Stone Age. Is he correct? Will there even be a World War III? If there is a World War III, what type of conflict will it be? By the way, what is a world war? Merriam-Webster defines it as, “a war engaged in by all or most of the principal nations of the world”. Is World War III on the horizon? Could the instability of the Middle East be the fuse to ignite it?
Is there a life not worthy to be lived?
In the United States we have had access to legal abortions for about 25 years and access to voluntary euthanasia in Oregon for about 10 years.
