PrintApril 8, 2010
The Current Political Condition is Unstable
If one group of people prefers government control and management of people's lives and another prefers liberty and a desire to be left alone, should they be required to fight, antagonize one another, risk bloodshed and loss of life in order to impose their preferences or should they be able to peaceably part company and go their separate ways?
The question is even more relevant today and Dr. Williams revisits it in a column . Whatever divide existed in 2000 has only widened today. The party in power has a different vision for America than the majority of Americans.
The uneasy schism existed since the founding of the country. Even some of the founders debated these issues. Initially, the schism was small and held in check by a functioning Constitution. Over time, the Constitution has been deprecated by politicians of both parties. Today, it is little more than a quaint artifact of history in the eyes of many politicians.
Many Americans feel strongly that the Constitution should be the controlling document to contain government. As Williams expressed it:
Article I, Section 8 of our Constitution lists the activities for which Congress is authorized to tax and spend. Nowhere on that list is authority for Congress to tax and spend for: prescription drugs, Social Security, public education, farm subsidies, bank and business bailouts, food stamps and other activities that represent roughly two-thirds of the federal budget. Neither is there authority for congressional mandates to the states and people about how they may use their land, the speed at which they can drive, whether a library has wheelchair ramps and the gallons of water used per toilet flush. The list of congressional violations of both the letter and spirit of the Constitution is virtually without end. Our derelict Supreme Court has given Congress sanction to do anything upon which they can muster a majority vote.
The popularity of the Tea Party movement, outpolling either Republicans or Democrats in some recent polls, suggests the severity of the split.
Many Americans believe they are held in disdain by corrupt Washington politicians. They no longer believe that their vote matters. The recent health care "reform" was evidence to reinforce these beliefs. It appears that the politicians in Washington do not believe the people have the power or will to change things. It is likely the November 2010 elections will provide a massive surprise to them and the political talking heads.
In my opinion, we are beyond the point where elections matter very much. Even if there is a wholesale change of seats in 2010, it is unlikely that there will be a wholesale change in the philosophy of government. The Republican philosophy, to the extent it differs from the Democrats, does so mostly in regard to the rate at which they are willing to destroy the country.
If so, then what? Williams states:
Americans who wish to live free have several options. We can submit to those who have constitutional contempt and want to run our lives. We can resist, fight and risk bloodshed and death in an attempt to force America's tyrants to respect our liberties and human rights. We can seek a peaceful resolution of our irreconcilable differences by separating. Some independence movements, such as our 1776 war with England and our 1861 War Between the States, have been violent, but they need not be. In 1905, Norway seceded from Sweden; Panama seceded from Columbia (1903), and West Virginia from Virginia (1863). Nonetheless, violent secession can lead to great friendships. England is probably our greatest ally.
It is unclear how this plays out, but it is clear that the current situation is unsustainable. Too many Americans still have their sense and love of freedom to just accept deteriorating liberty and standard of living. There can be no stability in the current condition. There will be a solution of some sort.
Monty Pelerin blogs at www.economicnoise.com montypelerin@gmail.com
