Today is Constitution Day. Yes, the document known as "The Law of The Land".
You'll hear it mentioned in a few months, when the President is sworn in.
It's actually the very first lie that a President makes. He lifts his right hand and swears to uphold the Constitution....Good one.
I see no reason in being a fan of the U.S. Constitution. If you suffer under a government, let it be as decentralized as possible. The centralization of power is a great evil.
Yes, I've heard many times about how the U.S. Constitution is the greatest political document ever devised. I know about the checks and balances.
Please...spare me.
The proof is in the pudding. The U.S. government is the largest to ever to occupy the earth. And the word "occupy" is actually quite accurate considering it has the largest military Empire as well.
So, either the U.S. Constitution failed to stop this....actually played a part in creating it...or both.
Once you grant power to human beings, they will use their minds to find ways in expanding that power. You can write down all the rules, amendments, and bills of rights that you want.
It's been done. Those with a power mentality will find ways around them, or just flat out ignore them (like today).
Fortunately, it works both ways...Government makes more rules than it can possibly enforce, and free thinking individuals use their minds to find ways around them, or flat out ignore the edicts.
If it didn't work both ways, humanity would have no shot. Goverments would have certainly turned everything into ashes by now.
The trick is to stop making the same mistakes - to clear your eyes of the fantasy of limited government...and of the illusion that centralized power is wonderful.
The European people are being tested now. Powermad politicians over there are scheming to create a consolidated Europe. Hopefully the citizens are smart enough to resist.
Americans were not.
So on this Constitution Day 2012, I urge you to think differently.
Check out the resources below: You'll never look at the centralization of power as a good thing again:
- Robert Lefevre audio here & here. It's an old recording, but with many great insights on the background of the Constitution and its wording.
- Gary North eBook in pdf format: "Conspiracy in Philadelphia"
- The U.S. Constitution: Tool of Centralization and Debt, 1788-Today
"There are those who have never ceased to say very earnestly, 'Something is going to happen to the American form of government if we don't watch out.' These were the innocent disarmers. Their trust was in words. They had forgotten their Aristotle. More than 2,000 years ago he wrote of what can happen within the form, when 'one thing takes the place of another, so that the ancient laws will remain, while the power will be in the hands of those who have brought about revolution in the state.'"
ReplyDelete— Garet Garret, The Revolution Was, 1938
A constitution is like the political/ideological equivalent of FDIC deposit insurance. It reassures the public their cherished "way of life" is being protected, so they can go to sleep. Seen in this way, it is one of the best weapons devised by the ruling class. We may soon have undeniable totalitarianism in America, existing side-by-side with the good old U.S. Constitution that makes totalitarianism impossible.
The US constitution actually is not that bad an instrument for limited government, and is actually or was actually supposed to be decentralized as far as touching people. For those who actually understand it, they realize it was thrown out by Lincoln, and that since then the government has been one of men.
ReplyDeleteApart from the above though, the US constitution is not the problem, and one of the great failings of libertarian thought is the denial of man's inherent evil nature. Governments will always grow and oppress because they are governments of men. Simply put, there really is no alternative, so sure go ahead and espouse liberty, educate people economically, and promote justice, but until you incorporate the nature of man into your thought you will get nowhere.
“Apart from the above though, the US constitution is not the problem, and one of the great failings of libertarian thought is the denial of man's inherent evil nature.”
DeleteLibertarians don’t deny this, certainly not a vast majority of the ones I read and interact with. Libertarians recognize it quite well, for the same reason that you do, as evidenced by your next statement:
“Governments will always grow and oppress because they are governments of men.”
You fear the evil of man, so you want to give evil man the power to perform evil legally. Your own statement supports the libertarian position.
People fear the evil nature of man, so they give form and power to an institution that makes legal the behavior springing forth from that evil nature. What kind of nonsense is that?
This is one of the great failings of those who advocate monopoly in political relationships.
Sorry buddy, never said anything about giving men a monopoly on government. Way to read into what I said. Oh, and miss the point. As I'm typing this on my phone, it'll show as anonymous.
DeleteChris, you should also include Lysander Spooner's famous treatise, "No Treason" in your reading list.
ReplyDeleteHere is Lysander Spooner's "No Treason: Constitution of No Authority":
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lewrockwell.com/orig4/spooner1.html
Also:
http://www.tommullen.net/featured/the-u-s-constitution-the-18th-century-patriot-act/
http://thomasmullen.blogspot.com/2010/03/constituiton-does-not-protect-our.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north445.html
http://mises.org/daily/2874
http://www.lewrockwell.com/buppert/buppert29.1.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/barnett/barnett26.1.html
http://lewrockwell.com/barnett/barnett34.1.html
Great stuff Scott...thanks!
DeleteIncredibly happy to see all the references to Lysander Spooner. I wrote my senior thesis on individual anarchism and Lysander Spooner. He was truly an amazing thinker.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to check out Randy Barnett's site, http://www.lysanderspooner.org
I refer readers to two books: Democracy: The God That Failed
ReplyDelete(Hans-Hermann Hoppe,2001)
Beyond Democracy (Frank Karsten-Karel Beckman,2012)
Hoppe's prescient work (pre 9/11, pre 2008 bailout binge, unfortunately foretelling 2012 and beyond) references historical writings(and his own observations), as to why society declines to a least common denominator under Democracy.
Beyond Democracy is a short pamphlet for a time-constrained mass audience in need of a short, easy to understand topical read. It will help readers understand Democracy is not the 'Deal' they thought it was.
When the Constitution was drafted the current takeover of the populace via Government through "Democratic Process" was not prevalent, however, the U.S. Civil War, and in particular post WWI, it kicked into high gear.
Democracy has enabled the Constitution to be shredded, and any other notion of minimalist government (assuming of course that is what it was about, which some may rightfully question).
Why all the disagreement? I simply looked up "The Constitution" in my dictionary (The Devil's Dictionary).
ReplyDeleteThe Constitution, n. The health of the State.