Thread: How many of you still believe in the power of the US Constitution?

Originally Posted by PatrickT

Liberals do hate freedom of speech. The Occupy Wall Street group is arguably at its silliest when the participants "speak with one voice" by repeating everything their "non-leader" says. The freedom of speech has been under attack from day one and one weakening, in my view, was categorizing speech. Commercial speech is seen as inferior to political speech.

In any case, the Constitution can be changed. The problem for liberals is they can't change it because Americans hate what they want done. So, they subvert the Constitution or in the words of then Speaker of the House Pelosi when asked where the Constitution gives the government the authority to put a requirment on health insurance, "Are you serious?"

Liberals want totally unrestrained power. I certainly don't.

Super-PACs basically give the people with the most money the ability to influence politics all out of relation to their actual numbers. Look at Gingrich's campaign and his billionaire supporter PAC - would he have stayed in the race as long as he did without that one person?

In the last election, between the primaries and the actual election , over a billion dollars was spent on electing the President. In what way does this improve democracy in the USA?

Originally Posted by 4Horsemen

So You'd welcome a Global Government and World Constitution? effectively destroying any sovereignty you thought this country had?

Is that your version of a false dichotomy?

Originally Posted by BleedingHeadKen

I don't know why you think China has less freedom. They may have less political freedom, but, unlike the US, a person can live there and not be committing three felonies a day. A person can get in and out of a Chinese airport without being molested and having his children felt up by pedophiles in government uniform. At the right hour of the day, he can get through the airport without even going through customs. Russia is not dissimilar, though it has a lot of corruption. That can make some things difficult for the lower classes, but it's also far easier to start a business or travel about without worrying about incarceration. Arm yourself against criminals and carry bribes for the police, and you are fine. Here in the US, it's fear the police more than the criminals and have a lawyer on speed dial.

Anyway, I side Lysander Spooner on the Constitution. It's a great document, lots of good stuff, some not so good stuff, and it has absolutely no inherent authority.

Good point. China is as far from the totalitarian state pictured by Joe American as it could get. Yes, they can get all cranky about publishing anti-government rants (which is a bad thing, of course), but aside from that your average Chinese dude can go about his day doing pretty whatever he likes. We are far more of a police state than they are. You are not at all likely to be harrassed by the state there. But anything you do here is subject to countless pages of rules and regulations. Where is it less hassle to open a business? There. Where do pay higher taxes? Here. Think about this: They have 4 times the people and yet they have less people in jail than we do.

I definitely believe in the power of the Constitution. Our founding fathers knew a lot more than we give them credit for.

Unfortunately, the power of the Constitution is not usually the deciding factor in government. Hasn't been for a while.