Posted on 08/14/2013 11:11:07 AM PDT by Kaslin
Only those happily trampling on the last vestiges of freedom will deny that our federal government as a constitutional republic has ceased to function. The president can no longer control (nor does this one want to control) the enormous and ever-expanding bureaucracy functioning as a government by fiat. The legislative branch, so corrupted, so drunk by the allure of power, so disdainful of its constituents, is unable to stop its bankrupting ways. The judiciary is perhaps the worst. The Supreme Court is openly rejecting the authority of the Constitution itself.
If the federal government refuses to adhere to the enumerated powers of the Constitution, what can the citizenry do about it? The events of the past five years (more, actually) prove this. It has become virtually impossible to stop the agenda of a radical Chief Executive who brazenly uses the federal government as his personal political machine. It is almost impossible to defeat an incumbent member of Congress with all the advantages it has awarded itself. For all intents it is impossible to replace a member of the Supreme Court.
The left is content with this terrible turn of events. By "transformation" they meant the transfer of power to the state.
Conservatives are loath to declare American exceptionalism dead, yet are powerless to stop the statist steamroller. With every cycle, the situation worsens. At some point the unthinkable -- tyranny -- is upon us. We are running out of time. Only radical surgery will save the patient now.
Enter Dr. Mark Levin with his new book, "The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic". Levin is a Constitutional scholar -- and he shines. He argues passionately that the federal government can be brought under control only if new limitations are thrust upon it by its citizenry. He proposes a Constitutional convention, not one called by Congress but one impaneled by two-thirds of state legislatures, and which would require a three-fourths margin to pass any new amendments. It is the lesser known of the two options provided by Article V of the Constitution.
What should a Constitutional convention tackle? Levin offers eleven amendments for consideration, with appropriate subdivisions, each carefully researched and each designed to reduce the power of the state.
Term limits for Congress is the first liberty amendment Levin offers. It is my view also the most important. Only when there are limits (12 years of service) will Congress be populated by men and women driven only by the call to service, not the siren song of power. The millions delivered by special interests for the re-election of incumbents who, in turn, reward said interests with billions in grants, contracts, tax shelters and the like -- will cease.
Levin calls for other limitations on Congress. He proposes an amendment to limit federal spending and another to limit taxation, the combination, which will restore fiscal sanity while devolving power from the state. He offers an amendment to repeal the 17th Amendment, returning to the Article 1 mandate that Senators be chosen by their state legislators.
What about the Supreme Court? "(S)hould five individuals be making political and public policy decisions and imposing them on every corner of the nation ... as they pursue even newer and more novel paths around the Constitution in exercising judicial review?" Levin points to the obvious: Sometimes mistakes are made (Roberts, anyone?) and America shouldn't be punished for the rest of that jurist's life. He proposes 12-year term limits for them, as well.
What can be done to control, even reduce the size and scope of the bureaucracy? All federal departments and agencies must be re-authorized by Congress every three years or be terminated -- that's what.
There's a liberty amendment to protect and promote free enterprise, now under vicious assault. One to protect private property given the ability of the federal government suddenly to steal it. Amendments to increase the power of the States, and finally, an amendment to protect the voting process.
Who would have thought any such amendments would ever be needed? And that's the point. Such is the nature of the crisis.
Levin quotes Tocqueville reflecting on the Constitutional Convention of 1776: "(I)t is new in history of society to see a great people turn a calm and scrutinizing eye upon itself when apprised by the legislature that the wheels of its government are stopped."
It is time for our legislatures once more to issue the clarion call
Levin hopes "The Liberty Amendments" will launch a national discussion, and it will. Levin is a consequential man, and this is a consequential book. Some critics will dismiss the concept out of hand. It is they who should be dismissed -- unless they have bold new alternatives to propose. Nothing else is working, and nothing else will do. We have reached the tipping point.
I really like Levin and the work he does despite how rude he sometimes can be to folks who call into his show.
Yankee trait I suppose. I have to say though, he really is only a talking head. Most everything he says, everyone pretty much knows. Levin just articulates a bit better than most.
In the end, it’s all talk. Our republic is dying at an alarming rate....and we talk, regurgitate old issues, talk some more. In the end, nothing is really affected up in la la land of D.C..
He only does that to the left wing lunatics. His “get off the phone moron” is hilarious
So exactly what are YOU doing except bloviating?
My secret, if I told ya, I’d have to...
Not having read the book, yet. And based on the several reviews and comments on Mr. Levin’s proposed amendments.
Here is one he forgot.
Excepting the armed forces of these Unites States and the militias of the several States; no law shall be made which provides exemptions or grants special privileges to any citizen, elected official, appointed official, or regular employee of these United States.
And another one.
Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Constitution of these United States; no elected official, appointed official, or employee is immune from prosecution for crimes committed in their official capacity.
Levin is proposing sensible ideas that could be appealing electoral issues.
Along with “Abolish the IRS!”, another long overdue and worthy issue, the so-called Republican Party could have a tight list of easily understood measures that would starkly differentiate them from the Statist Stalinists that the Democratic Party has become.
Having some issues to win with sure as hell beats “cut the budget, us rich guys wanna keep the loot” as the only policy initiative you’ve got.
Isn't it amazing that the Repugnants have not tried to use this as a bargaining chip in all the things they have given in to?
"Affirmative Action" is utterly Un-Constitutional as it inverts the intent of the 14th amendment, not enforces it.
I’ve been very active in organizing get out the vote, calling, writing, attending rallies. Hell, most folks I know just sit on their duffs.
I have to push’em and prod’em to get involved. They are coming around though.
They are seeing their surroundings and saying....oh $h!! How did we get here. Sometimes ya just have to expose to some folks the brutal truth.
What Levin overlooks is that “the People” may be as corrupt as the givernment..
THAT; the givernment truely represents the people..
The givernment is corrupt because the people want it that way..
Proof?... If they wanted it to change they would change it.. (they don’t/won’t)..
DENYing this is a strong delusion!...
Obama(Clinton/Bush) is PUNISHMENT for corruption... by the populace..
God didn’t do it.. it is entirely... (( NORMAL ))..
Corruption seeking it’s own level..
The problem with 12 year term limits is...
Who could afford to take 12 years out of their career to serve in Congress or on the USSC ?
The good ones would get booted after 12 years and there is an endless supply of worthless slugs waiting to fill the slot when a bad one leaves.
I have my doubts that this would be a gain.
bttt
I have said many times to those who want to throw everyone out and start new, that this is ridiculous. You don’t know how the next person is. They can promise you anything you want to hear, but when the times comes to deliver they get amnesia
Ha, ha. I guess if you said it publicly the minions of the left would be able to thwart your efforts. Thanks for not going nuts on my last reply. One of those days.
Happy FReeping.
I know it didn’t work very well in MI when we went to term limits.
All we need is one State to get the ball rolling and get others attention...
I wouldn't rule out other States as well Indiana and a long shot? Michigan.
Any suggestion to the contrary by any official of any government agency, whether elected or appointed, shall be grounds for permanent, non-reversible dismissal from government service for the life of the offender.
As long as we're wishing - let's put a stake through the heart of socialism once and forever.
Probably not more than 97% of the Citizens of the United States. So we lose about 3% of the qualified candidates.
Yeah, sure thing.
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as “bad luck.”
— Robert Heilein
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