I say it ends at the Constitution.
The Constitution works when the country is made up of independents who rely on themselves, their work, their decisions in life and depend on the government only for national protection and infrastructure. Our nation has gone from independents to dependents and is what has led to your thread.
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I think both answers to the question so far are overly simplistic.
Independent to dependent? Thomas Jefferson and all those independent founders weren’t plowing their own fields, were they?
And to WW…theoretically, our existing central government has grown only within the confines of the constitution.
But of course there are oversteps.
We are a vastly more complicated country today, far different than the sparse nation of the 1700’s.
I think the answer is, less than we have but more than you might think.
COMMON SENSE.
ON THE ORIGIN AND DESIGN OF GOVERNMENT IN GEN- ERAL, WITH CONCISE REMARKS ON THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION.
Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness possitively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.
From Common Sense, Thomas Paine, February 1776
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Both of those cannot be true.
That’s a really good post.
Credit to author, his words are just as relevant today as they were then.
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Paine clearly articulated that individuals serving in government, any government, attempt to impose “an order” onto society.
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there are things not in the constitution that come from the central govt of the United states, that benefit society.
medicare for instance.
giving seniors access to good health insurance.
thats a good thing right?
Allan
Which is precisely why we are here.
Good intentions are not a guarantee of societal benefit.
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Theoretically.
Every growth should be allowed by the framework of the constituion.
But I think sometimes the courts get that wrong.
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God damn that guy could write.
But to the examples given, Medicare…I think that’s a good thing. Do you?
I don’t think he is suggesting the individuals are seeking to impose order. It’s the GOVERNMENT itself…
Before this thread goes much further, are we talking about ANY central government, or just the FEDERAL CENTRAL government?
Now you are attempting to appeal to intentions, and subjective feelings. It was never the job of government. It has been the largest driver of inflation in medical costs, along with being just another target for fraud, waste and abuse on a macro scale.
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Government isn’t a unique life form. It is a group of humans, controlling the levers of power to police society as a whole, as those individuals in power see fit to do..
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If you haven’t read it, you should. It is a pamphlet, not novel. And it is a vibrant proof that the pen is mightier than the sword. These words inspired 10’s of thousands to take up the sword.
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No, I’m asking, do you think Medicare is a benefit to society?
