[RipSawyer]

"The income tax IS constitutional, not that I like it. If we have to have it at all I say a simple flat tax accross the board, at a low rate."


Actually, the amendment did not remove the original wording which forbade such a tax, therefore the amendment is worthless since the constitution cannot be in conflict with itself. Not that it makes any difference, we have countless other unconstitutional provisions that are never struck down, this is just one of them. It has been said that we have "a government of laws and not of men" but this is meaningless rhetoric, governments are always governments of laws that say whatever the men in charge pretend that they say. Throughout history the greatest criminals have been the ones who controlled the governments of the world.

[mlo]

Actually, the amendment did not remove the original wording which forbade such a tax, therefore the amendment is worthless since the constitution cannot be in conflict with itself.

That's not very good logic. If an ammendment can't override the original text what would be the point of ammending?

If an ammendment allows something that was disallowed in the originnal text then the ammendment rules. There does not need to be specific language to remove the original words.