What, Exactly, Do We Want to Restore America to?

Jeremy Sarber ^ | May 4, 2010 | Jeremy Sarber

[NY Hockey Mom]

There is no doubt that America is an extremely diverse nation of people. That is why it is so unfortunate to see our individual liberty slip away. We are slowly becoming a “mass of people” rather than a nation of individuals.

It also unfortunate the way political commentaries today measure the government in terms of political parties instead of political powers. The Founder Fathers would have considered our modern measuring stick meaningless. It is popular to classify the right as “Fascism” and the left as “Communism.” This way of thinking dates back to earlier European parliaments where Communists would often sit on the left side of the room while Fascists would sit on the right. Other parties would sit in the middle.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

A land of self-determination and freedom, where socioeconomic classes exist, but all citizens have the opportunity to climb the ladder commensurate with their efforts.

[JSteff]

Just take us back 3 or 4 years. No Obama, no socialism, no gov in our every step.

[bigbob]

It wasn’t perfect, but “pre-Obama” works for me.

We don’t need a “Reset” button, we need to do a “System Restore”, back to October 2008.

[MetaThought]

And that is why the left is winning. We think tactically while the left thinks strategically.

[MetaThought]

See my #5

[Psycho_Bunny]

The left doesn’t think: it’s a loose knit collection of Ownways and Gimmes.

[B4Ranch]

I would like to see #1, America’s justice system restored back to using the Constitution as our guidebook instead of case law. #2, have Congress and the Senate check that every Bill submitted to them has passed the Constitution test. #3, Have every political office set with TERM LIMITS.

[dajeeps]

This: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

More Specifically This:

Article I - The Legislative Branch

Section 8 - Powers of Congress

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Thomas Jefferson's understanding of the enumerated powers:

"To lay taxes to provide for the general welfare of the United States, that is to say, "to lay taxes for the purpose of providing for the general welfare." For the laying of taxes is the power, and the general welfare the purpose for which the power is to be exercised. They are not to lay taxes ad libitum for any purpose they please; but only to pay the debts or provide for the welfare of the Union. In like manner, they are not to do anything they please to provide for the general welfare, but only to lay taxes for that purpose. To consider the latter phrase, not as describing the purpose of the first, but as giving a distinct and independent power to do any act they please, which might be for the good of the Union, would render all the preceding and subsequent enumerations of power completely useless.

"It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and, as they would be the sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please.

"It is an established rule of construction where a phrase will bear either of two meanings, to give it that which will allow some meaning to the other parts of the instrument, and not that which would render all the others useless. Certainly no such universal power was meant to be given them. It was intended to lace them up straitly within the enumerated powers, and those without which, as means, these powers could not be carried into effect."

[MetaThought]

Nonsense. That’s merely what they want you to think. There’s a lot of strategic planning there, but they also encourage an entitlement mentality because it works in their benefit.

[ronnietherocket2]

I think we need a reset button to before http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Direct_Election_Senators.htm

[SirLurkedalot]

Take us back to the end of WW2 and nip all of this in the bud by nuking the Soviets. Or back to McCarthy and actually listen to the man.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

Looks identical to Glen Beck’s version he did 6 months ago, excepting he put the original Constitution closer to anarchy. If the blogger watches Beck, then this is just a copy of that. If not, then I guess great minds think alike. Because his drawing with Fascism/Socialism near tyranny and the Articles of Confederation near anarchy is a clone of Beck’s drawing. Beck went further and tied this to “libertarianism” showing the anarchic libertarians vs the totalitarian libertarians.

I’ve learned more from watching Glen Beck’s show than any other single source of information after Free Republic. I have learned more here but had to work a lot harder to cull all the crap here that clouds the few compelling news articles daily. Becks show is a lot less work, and with a DVR I can fast forward, I can skip his preaching and go right to the hard information. Some shows lack it but not many. He is all over the massive profit cap and trade will provide for Soros/Obama’s den of Thieves.

[SirLurkedalot]

Both, actually.

[Pelham]

“There is no doubt that America is an extremely diverse nation of people.”

It sure didn’t start that way. This is from Federalist #2, written by John Jay:

“With equal pleasure I have as often taken notice that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united people — a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who, by their joint counsels, arms, and efforts, fighting side by side throughout a long and bloody war, have nobly established general liberty and independence.”

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

It is popular to classify the right as “Fascism” and the left as “Communism.”

Except that in today's world, it is the Left who are the Fascists, Socialists, and Communists. The nanny-staters are on the Left.