patrick.net

DooDahMan says

Patrick says

More citizens are getting interested in those rights and the Constitution

Same here - it is just that there is a dreadful lack of even the most basic knowledge of those rights let alone the constitution for the vast majority of the population but I also suspect that applies equally as well to most countries.

People take an interest in anything after a certain amount of pain has been applied

This is quirky. It was taught in high school. People should know.

GreaterNYCDude says

The constitution was designed to be paradoxical with checks and balances. It's worked more than it hasn't over the past two hundred plus years.

Keep in mind the precursor (the articles of confederation) needed to be scrapped because it rendered the federal government ineffectual. Or at least that's what I've been taught.

Yes, that's the main argument of the Federalist Papers - that the Articles of Confederation made for an ineffectual federal government, because it was really up to the states whether to cooperate with it at all. So it created a stronger federal government, but with a great deal of thought given to how to prevent any one part of the federal government from becoming tyrannical.

What they could not envision is an electoral system whereby so much money is required to get elected that essentially all members of the legislature are beholden to corporations. Hell, perpetual corporations weren't even a thing then. A corporation was supposed to exist for only a limited amount of time and for a specific purpose. Once the purpose was accomplished, the corporation was supposed to end.

In my mind the federal government should be involved in "big ticket" items that impact all states. Defense. Roads. Infrastructure. But not much else

I also think we need to get the deficit under control. We can't keep spending billions we don't have.

That said the hallmark of a great society is how they treat the least among us. I'm not against some of the social programs that have been divised over the years, I just think they would he more effectual if they were run at the state, or even the local level. I also think we jeed a better way to pay for them.

I think we have on some level a Republic, on some level Democracy. But when it comes to important issues it's pure Feudalism. Wealthy owners own politicians on both sides, politicians on both sides fuck us. Just look at the scam-demic we lived through, both sides were perfectly fine with all of us getting fucked for big pharma. Both parties are perfectly fine with sending billions to Ukraine, while I think most Americans oppose it.

So I think America is just like the rest of the world, it's a fake democracy, pretend kind of deal. On unimportant issues to the ruling class we have some basic Democracy. But when it matters, they strip us of our rights with cancel culture, and do as they want. I've seen too many times government go full nazi on us, declare us terrorists, and force us their way using corporations, corporate media, and government... all in lockstep. That's not Democracy nor Republic. That's Feudalism.

ForcedTQ says

States don't need to form an article 5 convention, they just need to assert rightful dominance over a tyrannical federal behemoth that has gone outside it's bounds. Nothing in the Constitution needs to be changed, but many federal government entities need ELIMINATED!

The states have to some extent. Marijuana is one category. Since IL became legal I stopped tracking legal states. Didn't even know MT was legal now as I'm heading out there in September.

Regardless of the Bill of Rights or Constitution, states know what is best for their people. Someone in DC has no clue what is good for me. Certain states should be divided up frankly. CA being the obvious one and even IL with Chicago and the burbs, while the rest is just farmland for the most part. Feds don't have the ability to use capital in specific places for actual needs, not waste, yet that's how it's divvied out. Give the state a lump sum and move on.

We should be getting lucky to get a nice federal handout for our small town soon. We shouldn't need to go to a Federal Rep to find that money. Should be a State Rep or State congress critter. Meeting my Fed House Rep next week. African American woman coming out to the country folks and has zero clue how we live. I promise that. Maybe she'll surprise me. That's not meant as a dig on blacks either. Unless you grew up in small town America as a black it's a 95% chance you'll be out of your element.

This is also multi-layered for me as well as she might be able to help with my wife's company. Big fucking day next week. Her company is "green" oil without doxxing what she does. Blue Dem in a blue State. Do have one other board member I might have to block out as she has as her professional career could benefit. The fuck, as I type this out I need to be pretty damn prepared. Hardest part will be lying about voting for her, I didn't.

HunterTits says

Like hell. 17th Amendment needs to be repealed. It was after that went into effect DC started to get powerful.

The direct election of US senators by the people instead of by the state legislatures?

I suppose that did move some power from state legislatures to the people of the state, but how did that make DC more powerful? Because the senators no longer cared much what state legislatures thought?

HunterTits says

ForcedTQ says

Nothing in the Constitution needs to be changed, but many federal government entities need ELIMINATED!

Like hell. 17th Amendment needs to be repealed. It was after that went into effect DC started to get powerful.

I will modify my original statement with the qualifier: through the first ten amendments.
Agree with you there.

The biggest area where the States gave up their "rights" pertains to finance. 49 states have balanced budget amendments This forces them to raise taxes when they spend more money. Recessions are particularly harsh on the States as they are unable to counter reduced demand by counter cyclical spending.

This would lead to a deflationary spiral.

The Federal government has no constraints on spending (they can borrow massive amounts). By going into debt they are not beholden to raising taxes.

The States get about a third of their budgets from transfers from the Federal government. Since the States don't have a credit card, they simply use the Federal credit card, but don't really talk about it. An enormous percentage of the Federal deficit can be explained as transfers to the States.

HunterTits says

Senators got/kept/lost their jobs before that at the behest of the state governments. Afterwards, they cared more about what they got from their donors, like House members.

The Senate under the control of the States was meant as a check on Congress by the States.

The two most odious amendments are:
1. The direct election of Senators
2. Income Tax - making the Federal Government able to tax the public directly, without having to get the states onboard to their scheme. It either had to be per capita or tariffs prior to the Income Tax.

A close third is the 19th, allowing the resource distributor sex to vote instead of limiting it to resource obtainers.

Thanks @Misc I did not understand that.

What can be done about that? It's bad that the states are so dependent on the Feds for money. But it's good that 49 states are not able borrow themselves into oblivion.

Misc says

The biggest area where the States gave up their "rights" pertains to finance. 49 states have balanced budget amendments This forces them to raise taxes when they spend more money. Recessions are particularly harsh on the States as they are unable to counter reduced demand by counter cyclical spending.

This would lead to a deflationary spiral.

The Federal government has no constraints on spending (they can borrow massive amounts). By going into debt they are not beholden to raising taxes.

The States get about a third of their budgets from transfers from the Federal government. Since the States don't have a credit card, they simply use the Federal credit card, but don't really talk about it. An enormous percentage of the Federal deficit can be explained as transfers to the States.

End the fed.