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Anonymous said:
"power only resides in the government, and always has done."
- Wrong again moron. Please read and learn about "the consent of the governed"

Part of the reason for the Constitution's enduring strength is that it is the complement of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration provided the philosophical basis for a government that exercises legitimate power by "the consent of the governed," and it defined the conditions of a free people, whose rights and liberty are derived from their Creator. The Constitution delineated the structure of government and the rules for its operation, consistent with the creed of human liberty proclaimed in the Declaration.

By the diffusion of power—horizontally among the three separate branches of the federal government, and vertically in the allocation of power between the central government and the states—the Constitution's Framers devised a structure of government strong enough to ensure the nation's future strength and prosperity but without sufficient power to threaten the liberty of the people.

I won't charge you for this lesson. Next time it will cost you.
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outstanding theoretical lesson.

now how does it function in practice?
 












Anonymous said:
I would agree to a certain extent.... But this is no fault of The US Constitution. This is a result of not following The Constitution. This is a result of letting socialists constantly chip away at it and bastardize it. Power needs to be diffused and America needs to return to its Constitutional Republic roots.
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I'll take agreement to a certain extent. ;-)

It's hard for me to understand this, but why are we so beholden to a 200+ year old document written by aristocratic men? It's good, but can be done better.

We have a very bold vision, and we should refresh it for the 21st century.
And, while we're at it, we can clarify key points to limit government (military-industrial / corporate) power.

How great would it be for all American citizens of voting age today to have a say in defining a new blueprint for the next 100-200 years?
 




Anonymous said:
Hello? Moron..... It was and is the foundation for the greatest country in the history of the world. And yes, 1+1 does in fact equal 2.
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If that's what you believe, then your standards of greatness are lower than mine.

You might want to use the more appropriate category of Empire to describe the US, because we are the modern equivalent of empire in the last/current century. There's a big challenge to that status quo today, if you haven't noticed it. How this plays out is anyone's guess, and I actually think it's a good thing if we were to focus more inwards on ourselves (leading by example). I don't have all the answers, but I know that we'll have to re-evaluate our assumptions and belief systems.

(Some reading materials: Kohr's "Breakdown of Nations", Graeber's "Debt: The First 5000 years", Katz's "Beneath the Surface: Critical Essays in the Philosophy of Deep Ecology")

By the way, not all socio-political structures must be measured by the category of country/empire. There are communities, regions, states, and so on. Do we really need a federal government to administrate these socio-political structures? Or, do we just need some guiding principles agreed at a higher, aggregated level, i.e. the "rules of the game" / "new Constitution"?

Again, these questions open many more that need to be addressed. If "we the people" choose to take a back-seat role in politics, then the powers that be will continue to overrun us. We need to take a more active role, and that begins by questioning things.
 




Anonymous said:
I'll take agreement to a certain extent. ;-)

It's hard for me to understand this, but why are we so beholden to a 200+ year old document written by aristocratic men? It's good, but can be done better.

We have a very bold vision, and we should refresh it for the 21st century.
And, while we're at it, we can clarify key points to limit government (military-industrial / corporate) power.

How great would it be for all American citizens of voting age today to have a say in defining a new blueprint for the next 100-200 years?
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The blueprint has changed during the life of The US Constitution and I suspect will continue to change. I am assuming you are familiar with the amendment process. That is part of the beauty of this 200+ year old document. The problem is NOT the document, the problem is he failure to follow the document. The US Constitution has been so badly bastardized that it is almost unrecognizable. There is no current vision more bold than the founding of the US and the drafting of the US Constitution. Nothing so bold has ever come about before or since. The founders were enlightened men. These current politicians are idiots.
 




"By the way, not all socio-political structures must be measured by the category of country/empire. There are communities, regions, states, and so on. Do we really need a federal government to administrate these socio-political structures? Or, do we just need some guiding principles agreed at a higher, aggregated level, i.e. the "rules of the game" / "new Constitution"?

Great question.... and the answer is follow The Constitution. I totally believe in individual freedom and states rights. This what the US Constitution was supposed to ensure. We have allowed our politicians to bastardize the Constitution and not follow it. The results have been oppressive, centralized power.
 




Anonymous said:
"By the way, not all socio-political structures must be measured by the category of country/empire. There are communities, regions, states, and so on. Do we really need a federal government to administrate these socio-political structures? Or, do we just need some guiding principles agreed at a higher, aggregated level, i.e. the "rules of the game" / "new Constitution"?

Great question.... and the answer is follow The Constitution. I totally believe in individual freedom and states rights. This what the US Constitution was supposed to ensure. We have allowed our politicians to bastardize the Constitution and not follow it. The results have been oppressive, centralized power.
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You and I basically agree, but we disagree about the effectiveness of the Constitution in guaranteeing de-centralized power structures. If it were intended that way and the divided federal government "checks and balances" were so effective, then why are we in today's position? I argue it was always designed this way, and so I regard a lot of the stories behind our Revolution and framing of the Constitution as myths in order to retain an illusion of freedom. The outcomes have demonstrated the contrary.

Again, just reading Article I and fully appreciating the implications clearly gives the federal government a $hit ton of power - monopolies on violence and money creation. There was an Anti-Federalist movement to challenge these issues, but it lost in the crucial compromise in Massachusetts.

Remember John Hancock? Signature alone on the Declaration of Independence was a tell of the man's narcissism(1), but he was an oligarch (like all the founding fathers) and heavily invested in the Revolution. Later on in life circa 1788, he (along with Sam Adams) was the crucial sway in getting the Constitution ratified in Massachusetts and the other hold-out states soon followed. Hmm, surely it could not have been coincidence that his name ended up on the list of candidates in the 1788-1789 Presidential election. Getting your name on the list was not about becoming the President (everyone knew that would go to Washington - he deserved it), but rather becoming the Vice President - i.e., a future shot at becoming the 2nd President of the US.

Why do I share this story? To highlight that a resource-rich centralized power begets business as usual, attracting the moneyed and elite interests, who all want to preserve the age-old hierarchical game of dominating the legal frameworks, land (and underlying natural resources), and people.

(1) fun clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-OvbaTTZsE
 




After the election, write your congress person and Senator to support price controls for pharma! In Europe, price controls are standard and they pay 50% less for medication than we do!! Stand up and stop the greed!!
 








Anonymous said:
After the election, write your congress person and Senator to support price controls for pharma! In Europe, price controls are standard and they pay 50% less for medication than we do!! Stand up and stop the greed!!
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Sad thing is that writing them will do nothing. They give a standard, form response to most letters (by post or by e-mail).

We will either need to pay them or run for office ourselves and change the system from within.
 




Anonymous said:
You and I basically agree, but we disagree about the effectiveness of the Constitution in guaranteeing de-centralized power structures. If it were intended that way and the divided federal government "checks and balances" were so effective, then why are we in today's position? I argue it was always designed this way, and so I regard a lot of the stories behind our Revolution and framing of the Constitution as myths in order to retain an illusion of freedom. The outcomes have demonstrated the contrary.

Again, just reading Article I and fully appreciating the implications clearly gives the federal government a $hit ton of power - monopolies on violence and money creation. There was an Anti-Federalist movement to challenge these issues, but it lost in the crucial compromise in Massachusetts.

Remember John Hancock? Signature alone on the Declaration of Independence was a tell of the man's narcissism(1), but he was an oligarch (like all the founding fathers) and heavily invested in the Revolution. Later on in life circa 1788, he (along with Sam Adams) was the crucial sway in getting the Constitution ratified in Massachusetts and the other hold-out states soon followed. Hmm, surely it could not have been coincidence that his name ended up on the list of candidates in the 1788-1789 Presidential election. Getting your name on the list was not about becoming the President (everyone knew that would go to Washington - he deserved it), but rather becoming the Vice President - i.e., a future shot at becoming the 2nd President of the US.

Why do I share this story? To highlight that a resource-rich centralized power begets business as usual, attracting the moneyed and elite interests, who all want to preserve the age-old hierarchical game of dominating the legal frameworks, land (and underlying natural resources), and people.

(1) fun clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-OvbaTTZsE
Click to expand...

All I can do is refer you to the Tenth Amendment, which was passed in 1791. It is only failure to adhere to the Tenth Amendment which has lead to more centralized power. When people don't follow the law, the answer is not more laws or new laws.... It is only through enforcement can any rule or law be effective.

The Constitution is fine.... It is corrupt and/or gutless politicians and their unwillingness to uphold The Constitution that is broken.
 




Anonymous said:
Sad thing is that writing them will do nothing. They give a standard, form response to most letters (by post or by e-mail).

We will either need to pay them or run for office ourselves and change the system from within.
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Price controls are on shaky Constitutional ground and are unquestionably ineffective at achieving any long-term desired goals. But hey, don't let that stop you simple-minded libs.
 




Anonymous said:
Price controls are on shaky Constitutional ground and are unquestionably ineffective at achieving any long-term desired goals. But hey, don't let that stop you simple-minded libs.
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You tea baggers will be singing a different tune Tuesday night when the Dems continue to control the Senate!! Price controls work in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, and Latin America and will work very well in the good ole USA!! Get ready to cry Tuesday night!! Bawhahahahaha!!!
 




Anonymous said:
You tea baggers will be singing a different tune Tuesday night when the Dems continue to control the Senate!! Price controls work in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, and Latin America and will work very well in the good ole USA!! Get ready to cry Tuesday night!! Bawhahahahaha!!!
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Wow... That's what you think will happen Tues. night? You really are delusional. I have got to know where you get your information. It certainly would explain a lot. Perhaps a good slap in the face from reality on Wed. morning will wake you up.
 




Anonymous said:
You tea baggers will be singing a different tune Tuesday night when the Dems continue to control the Senate!! Price controls work in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, and Latin America and will work very well in the good ole USA!! Get ready to cry Tuesday night!! Bawhahahahaha!!!
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SHow me where and how price controls work? Because I will show you endless examples of its failures.

Who’d a-thunk it? Price controls don’t work and Team Obama doesn’t like market solutions that save lives.

http://www.aei.org/publication/whod...doesnt-like-market-solutions-that-save-lives/
 












Anonymous said:
Wow... That's what you think will happen Tues. night? You really are delusional. I have got to know where you get your information. It certainly would explain a lot. Perhaps a good slap in the face from reality on Wed. morning will wake you up.
Click to expand...

Quit watching the right-wing drivel of Fox TV!! There are far more Progressives in this country than haters and the women-hating, rich people-loving, and global climate damaging Republican party will NOT win the Senate. After the election, price controls on cancer drugs will be a reality! Making absorbent profits off of cancer patients is morally and legally corrupt!! I can't wait for the Fox announcers and you right wingers to start crying tomorrow night!!
 




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