Is There a Constitution?

Antiwar.com ^ | November 24, 2001 | Joseph R. Stromberg

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

John Taylor's New Views of the Constitution

[Lysander]

To merely profess a love of Liberty and a defense of Freedom is not good enough. When our government employs methods and operations that are directly in opposition to Freedom and Liberty all validation as a legitimate government is in doubt.

[vmatt]

Screw the Constitution, LET'S ROLL!

[america-rules]

Is Bush A Dictator?

[Native American Female Vet]

"Screw the Constitution,"

Well you cant get any more unAmerican than that. Check out Russia and China you might be happy there.

[Pay now bill Clinton]

Don't you mean: "LET'S TROLL!"?

[JD86]

Well you cant get any more unAmerican than that. Check out Russia and China you might be happy there.

How come you are always inviting people to leave if they don't agree with your views? Surely you believe in Freedom of Speech.

[Dan Day]

"Screw the Constitution," Well you cant get any more unAmerican than that. Check out Russia and China you might be happy there.

I believe he was being facetious.

[Native American Female Vet]

"How come you are always inviting people to leave if they don't agree with your views?"

I never told you to leave this forum or this country. I didnt tell him/her to either. I pointed out he/she may be happy someplace

"Surely you believe in Freedom of Speech."

Sure I do. Ya know what else... I dont have to agree with what they say.

[JD86]

I dont have to agree with what they say.

We can always count on you for that....:)

[x]

Good article. It really brings something new to the discussion. It's not clear, though, that Taylor's arguments are any decisive repudiation of Marshall. I would have to do a lot more reading before I could comment authoritatively on anything, but at first glance it does look as though Marshall didn't need to rely on such an appeal to the idea of "sovereignty". He could justify new measures as a means to achieve the enumerated powers. Here's a more sympathetic libertarian view of Marshall.

Was the Constitution a swindle? It's an interesting question. One could take a jaundiced view of our Constitution, but probably every form of government disappoints in some way. Ours may look to have been a trick or deception because it was put forward to the people for approval and is being put to uses that the original ratifiers wouldn't have forseen or approved. But on the whole, it's been less of a disappointment or swindle than many other governments have been. Consent is always a tricky question. What people would not have approved of in 1788, they did in 1818. But the Constitution does provide avenues for redress, if we feel it's been misused or misapplied.

[Native American Female Vet]

"I believe he was being facetious."

Thanks Dan. I hope you are right. It is getting hard to tell who is and is not being facetious anymore.

[BenR2]

Did you REALLY say "Screw the Constitution?"

Yep, it's as bad as I thought out there.

The dumbing down of America has finally been achieved.

This guy would likely be putty in the hands of the likes of Castro, Hitler or Stalin.

[mrfixit514]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! There is not a single citizen on this forum that can relate a single instance where they have had their civil rights abused because the U.S. is taking drastic measures to defend itself in this war.

This is just a chance for many to complain and be critical about things that will never affect them.

[vmatt]

I believe he was being facetious.

Sorry, Dan Day is right, just had to get that out. Closer to the reality of what many are thinking around here these days. Wouldn't surprise me a bit for someone to come along and say it seriously.

[Ohioan]

How come you are always inviting people to leave if they don't agree with your views? Surely you believe in Freedom of Speech.

I don't believe she made any comment that would deny anyone free speech. But anyone who would suggest that we "screw the Constitution," obviously has no good reason to remain here. The Constitution is the basis for all interaction between the States, for all actions that we take as a people in common on behalf of our Federal Union. Without the Constitution, there is no United States. It is too late to return to the Articles, they have been defunct since 1789.

Even more to the point, in the present exigency, every American on the ground in Afganistan--and every American flying over Afganistan--is there because they took an oath to preserve the Constitution. The remark--if it was not facetious--really reflects a total lack of understanding.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[JD86]

The remark--if it was not facetious--really reflects a total lack of understanding.

That anyone would not read it as facetious is what surprises me.