Did you read through the responses? I thought some very good points were made.
But, as far as what is “academic” - I would have to respond that it is mathematically impossible for this nation to pay the $20+ trillion debt. If you think “multiples” of unfunded liabilities is a nightmare ... Take a look into derivatives exposure - credit default swaps and sovereign debt in particular - that by act of recent banking legislation (drafted under great influence of CitiBank, in which the Saudi Royals hold a controlling interest - think hedging on oil profit losses) every U.S. taxpayer is now on the hook to underwrite if default occurs!
Bottom line - The United States is finished as a nation. It will go insolvent. And then will come civil war ... And with that, our argument over the 17th Amendment will be, in comparison, an insignificant footnote.
Yes, I read through some of the responses. One of the greatest, ultimately perhaps THE greatest mistake the Founders made was not placing a Balanced Budget clause into the Constitution. Many states have that, including (ironically) Massachusetts (which is why many leftists have crowed about how people like Dukakis and Deval Patrick “balanced the budget.” That’s because it’s required. Think they’d have done so if it wasn’t ?).
The BBA should be implemented at once, and nothing should be taken “off budget” (which is the poison pill). Drastic, across-the-board cuts must be made, and not down the line but right now. Tax increases cannot accomplish covering added spending. You reach a level of diminishing returns every time it’s jacked up. “The rich”, as the leftists claim, don’t have enough money to pay for our beyond-astronomical debts, and that they’re smart enough to be rich, they’re also smart enough to find ways to keep the government from getting their money.
Tough choices will have to be made, or as you said, the next civil war will come and the epic battle between the producer class and the governmental theft class and their armies of racist-screaming gibsmedats. Ultimately, when we finally smarten up, we’ll see that participation in elections and decisionmaking processes in this nation should be a privilege, not an automatic right. The difference between a Republic (which we are) vs. a Democracy (which we aren’t).