Posted on 12/31/2012 7:28:28 AM PST by Nachum
Georgetown University constitutional law professor Louis Michael Seidman has just about had it with the focus of his 40 years of academic study. As he writes in the New York Times on Monday, it is the Constitution itself which has allowed for the series of legislative follies that finally resulted in the “fiscal cliff.” Seidman says that it is time for Americans to realize what lawmakers have known since the constitution’s inception – it is okay to ignore it.
“As the nation teeters at the edge of fiscal chaos, observers are reaching the conclusion that the American system of government is broken. But almost no one blames the culprit: our insistence on obedience to the Constitution, with all its archaic, idiosyncratic and downrght evil provisions,” Seidman writes.
Our obsession with the Constitution has saddled us with a dysfunctional political system, kept us from debating the merits of divisive issues and inflamed our public discourse. Instead of arguing about what is to be done, we argue about what James Madison might have wanted done 225 years ago.
He goes on to detail the number of American politicians who have used every opportunity to sideline the Constitution; from John Adams to Abraham Lincoln to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
(Excerpt) Read more at mediaite.com ...
Its a bad thing when you have to consider divorce just because of the in-laws. Been there...
The Constitution limits the powers of government and affirms that rights reside in the people as individuals, not as a collectivity.
Exactly what communists hate. communists give ALL power to government and the collectivity, and NONE to individuals. Individuals have no rights.
Moral and religious people? We no longer qualify...
I agree, and let's start with the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 8th Amendments.
This way to the Gulag, F**ktard.
Cheers!
LLS
It’s really painful to spend holidays with libs. Do you notice that libs are ALWAYS the first ones to bring up politics - even while you’re still trying to digest the turkey? They cannot control themselves! The are bad people with bad manners.
It's only killed at least 110,000,000 so far.
>>>I don’t get that, either. Throughout history it seems, many Jews have been promoters of socialism and communism, even though they are the first ones to be targeted when the socialists attain power. Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice said.<<<<
Throughout history? Wrong. Since the expulsion of the Jews by the Romans, most Jews in Europe lived in small communities separate from the larger culture around them. During the first part of the Islamic expansion, the Jews were accepted as sort of favored slaves. In neither case were they agitating for athiesm and a collective state. Their religion and faith held them together against unceasing attacks from others around them.
You’re thinking about the European Jews in the past 120 years, which includes relatives that I have had the chance to listen to. Those Jews looked back on their history and saw the attacks directed at them - and in the case of Russia, the plan for genocide by Czar Alexander - and many of those attacks were supported by Christians saying things like, “The Jews killed Jesus.” This history made the athiest and frankly anti-Christian attitude of the socialist and communists attractive to the Jews. I still find much suspicion about the motives and attitudes of Christians among the Jews I know. This is especially true of the lapsed Jews that I know, who are ethnically Jewish but don’t practice their faith. They know the stories of the old days of persecution from Christians, but their own lack of faith makes them unable to see how the world has changed.
It’s interesting that the Jews forced out of their Middle Eastern enclaves have no such bias in favor of socialism.
Yes, of course this makes many Jews the “useful idiots” described by Lenin, and Jewish culture promotes intellectual discussion and academic discovery, which puts them in a bad place with any sort of socialist or communist regieme. On the other hand, it isn’t the first time the Jews have strayed from God’s path. We are described as a “stiff-necked lot” in the Bible. Socialism and communism is just a modern version of the worship of Ba’al.
IMHO
Seidman... sorry.
LLS
LLS
Excuse me... but certain parts of this country do still qualify as moral and religious.
LLS
If he wants to put aside the Constitution, we should dissolve the United States of America entirely and divvy its assets and debts.
Membership in the new nation should be entirely voluntary.
I figure if the Government, not based on the Constitution, has no legitimacy, the first part that loses legitimacy is the IRS.
The only good Commie is a dead Commie. Just sayin...
I agree...but not overall. I think people living in the areas you cite would be stunned by the immoral culture/behavior of the 'blue' states...even that of 'red state' cities. Red Hampshire just 'doubled down' on immorality by sending TWO vile pro-abortion and pro-sodomite women to Congress. They elected another one Governor. The differences between New England/New York and the South are like night and day. Living in New England is like living in a foreign country...the South/Midwest/Rocky Mountain states resemble the America I remember...the people the Constitution was written for...
OK, so we can secede then.
Reminds me of the first time I met my soon to be B-I-L.
Big Lib, retired College Professor. My S-I-L was gushing about what a wonderful conversationalist he is, but warned me not to discuss Politics since she knows I’m somewhere between Ronald Reagan and Attila the Hun.
So, the three of us are having a nice conversation about the guys grown Daughters and his Grandchildren, when my S-I-L excuses herself to finish up Dinner. She walks out of the room and this guy says to me, “so what do you think about that War Monger Bush?”.
My response was, yeah too bad he’s a RINO. He should have Nuked the Bastards after 9/11. He thought I was kidding, so we started talking about Nuclear Energy, which he hates. After I informed that more people died in Ted Kennedy’s Oldsmobile than died at Three Mile Island it was mercifully time to eat Dinner.
The rest is history. We are separated by 2000 miles, so it isn’t a daily problem for me. I wish you the best with your “confused” F-I-L.
Twitter exchange via LegalInsurrection...
Glenn Greenwald
Just in under the wire, a clear winner for dumbest and most incoherent NYT Op-ed of 2012:
Matt Yglesias
ggreenwald calls it the “dumbest and most incoherent NYT op-ed of 2012.” I think it’s pretty good:
Glenn Greenwald
There seems to be a “Progressives against the Bill of Rights” group rapidly emerging on Twitter: exciting!
Matt Yglesias
ggreenwald Whatever, I’m back to the fiscal cliff beat. Just don’t run around saying I’m against the bill of rights.
Glenn Greenwald
mattyglesias That’s what that Op-Ed you endorsed is saying - that’s ignore- rather than amend - the Constitution means.
Very true... one caveat... most of us southern boys and girls know exactly what kind of morality rules the progressive... wherever they are found. Happy New Year friend.
LLS
The purpose of this editorial is to float a trial balloon for Obama to dismiss Congress by use of force and rule as absolute dictator.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.