Several libertarians(?) have given you the original meaning, that carries much weight, because it is what was made known to the folks that signed the document into law. It's clearly given in the above posts and AJ's post of Madison's public explaination is given in #341. If you want to promote the living version of the Constitution, then you'll have to post substantiation for that interpretation. That would allow the claims and arguments they made, to be clear and open to examine for falsehoods and logical fallicy.
Rubbish. You've just been busted for wrongly claiming that I slandered someone.
First of all, Libertarians DO claim that the general welfare clause has no meaning and conveys no power to the federal government, so my accusation isn't false.
And second, it wouldn't be slander even if it was false simply because it isn't derogatory. It is a neutral statement of position on an issue.
Libertarians think that our Constitution doesn't allow social spending. They hold that view because they think that the general welfare clause conveys no power to the federal government.
It isn't slander to point that fact out.
And frankly, your craven notion that you need to debate my view of the Constitution is flawed, at best. This is NOT a thread about what is wrong with Southack, such as that might relieve you of the challenges that you face. Instead, this is a thread about what is wrong with Libertarianism.
And one of those things is that Libertarians consisntently claim that the "general welfare" clause of our Constitution has no meaning.
If that is wrong, then summarize WHAT specific power the phrase does convey to the federal government.