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We Need A Strong Federal Government To Protect Us From Our Strong... Federal ...OH SHIT!!!! We Don't Need A Strong Federal Government At All!
by Neale Osborn
[email protected]

Special to The Libertarian Enterprise

Scary, isn't it?? To think the title of this article actually makes sense scares the shit out of me, that's for sure! Today, on another post, I made this comment to an article by ECONOMICS101 (linked here). Then, a little later, it hit me. It's true, the thing we actually need the most protecting FROM is the very government that always claims it's trying to "protect" us! The really sad thing is the older I get, the more I see our government "Protecting" us out of everything we own, and every right we have, and all in the name of "Safety, Security, and Health". Think I'm wrong?? Read on, and see if you can at least see my reasoning.

We started out as a Confederacy. The original "rules" we wrote for operating this country were the Articles of Confederation (NO, this is not a reference to the South, look it up). They were a series of loose rules for the operation of the new country we had just founded. The AoC were pretty much a unanimous document. At the time they were written, all the people involved approved of them. But there WERE some small problems. So they called a "Constitutional Convention" (let the following serve as a warning why we NEVER want to see another) to fix these problems. BIG mistake. Now, pay attention here, this is important. I admire the Constitution. I base my political beliefs upon it. It is a remarkable document. It also happens to be the biggest mistake, in some ways, a free people could make. Why. you ask? Because we didn't put SPECIFIC ENOUGH limitations on the Federal Government, THAT'S WHY. It is full of the responsibilities the Federal Gov't has, and then it says "Anything else belongs to the states.

BIG MISTAKE!! We never said "This, this, and this ONLY, no spreading the powers out" We left it open to interpretation. General Welfare became welfare payments to people who don't work (requiring taxes). Defend the borders led to a 3 MILLION man standing army (something our founders, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington warned us against)[and the border is still a problem]. Provide for public roads (fuel taxes, highway taxes, federal speed limits, mandated seatbelt laws, federal mandates for car construction). Not all of these results are necessarily bad, but the ARE a source of power over, and a reason to collect ever more monies from, the American people. By the way, the Constitution we got was NOT unanimously accepted by the convention, quite a few of the 52 (?) delegates refused to sign on, and the Bill of Rights was eventually added to make the whole thing acceptable to the several states.

Later, Abe Lincoln used the Constitution to justify a war to "Preserve the Union". Sounds like an abusive husband, beating his wife into submission when she demands a divorce, doesn't it??? Despite the comments I see coming about slavery, it was NOT the primary reason for the war. Slavery was A reason, but not THE reason. The main reason was State's Rights vs A Strong Federal Government's Rights. Even though several southern states did list slavery as one of their reasons to secede, it was not the main reason. Now, to those of you screaming "RACIST" at your computer monitor, do not take that as my supporting the issue of slavery in ANY form (even conscription into the army in time of war). Slavery needed a stake through it's heart, and it is a shame that Jefferson's attempts to outlaw it in the Declaration of Independence were struck down. Despite the fact that slavery WAS dying rapidly due to the invention of mechanized farming equipment (tractors don't need food, warmth, and constant monitoring to prevent their running away), killing it off even quicker WAS a good thing. But it wasn't the main reason for the war.

Now, we seem to need "protection" from Islamic terrorists and those nasty insurance companies, according to the Federal Gov't. And BOY does it cost a lot of money and freedom to get that "Protection". Maybe you don't agree, but I think we need protection FROM our so-called "protectors" in the government.

(The preceeding is a copy of the article I wrote Sunday, May 2, 2010)

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