America's Decide Nothing Congress
Politics / US Politics Sep 09, 2009 - 01:43 AM GMTBy: Stephen_Merrill
When the United States Constitution was corrupted in the 1930’s to change the meaning of the Commerce Clause to include unlimited federal powers in the economy, it was the US Congress that was made omnipotent. Only the Congress has the authority to control interstate commerce under the Constitution. The powers of Congress waxed for decades after the 30’s steadily protruding into all aspects of American life.
Proving once again that legislatures with a lot more power than necessary end up failing at the important roles only government can perform, America’s Congress has now withered to a body wholly focused on gamesmanship. Half of a congressman’s time is spent on trying to maneuver federal spending in his or her district’s favor. The other half is spent raising campaign money and spending it.
There is simply no time left for the powers the Constitution does directly grant to Congress.
Congress has not exercised its obligation to declare War since World War II even though the country has waged six wars across the world since then. The sole authorization from Congress concerning the invasion of Iraq explicitly gave the President the war-making power to use or not to use as he saw fit. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that launched America into the Vietnam War did not contemplate a full-scale conflict with North Vietnam. The President committed the nation to that war largely on his own.
In times of peace, there is no power given to Congress by the Constitution that is more central to the nation’s long-term prosperity and international standing that the power to coin money. History is replete with republics that destroyed their way of life through the irresponsible use of paper money. The framers of the United States Constitution wisely limited the States to issuing money backed by gold or silver. Section 8(10). That measure was in large part based on their experience in funding the Revolution.
Long ago, Congress gave the authority to determine the nation’s money supply away. The Federal Reserve, largely a private company owned by the wealthy across the world, has grown to unimagined powers. Congress was silent when the Federal Reserve backed by FDR and later Richard Nixon ended the dollar’s backing with gold reserves. Just last year the Federal Reserve secretly handed $10 trillion to Wall Street in exchange for liens on junk assets. The Fed still refuses to disclose those payments even to Congress. Congress has taken no action in reply.
Congress takes up the President’s budget, not its own, even if a President of a different party occupies the White House. When difficult matters arise, like reducing entitlement growth or eliminating outmoded military bases or investigating the most devastating attack on the United States ever, Congress’ responsibility is delegated to specially invented commissions. Congress is openly known to be too partisan and venal to do its work when it matters the most.
The present Democratic Congress was pushed around easily by George W. Bush through to the very end of his administration. Congress’ voice in making broad policy decisions is now a mouse squeak as much as ever. The new President makes all important legislative initiatives and sets all priorities.
Like one of the drug addicts it demonizes, Congress spends all of its days fawning for campaign contributions and for pork-barrel rewards for their constituents and themselves. Any other kind of Congressional work is controversial, a waste of time, irrelevant and not why the members came to Washington.
Why do overly powerful legislatures always descend their nation into chaos? Because an all-powerful legislature entices the wrong sort of people to seek to conduct the government’s business while deterring potential candidates who have the public benefit mainly in mind. Indeed, it takes a cheat of sorts to wish to divvy up half of the nation’s treasure largely on a campaign contribution basis. Conversely, it requires a person of integrity to restrain the exercise of political power while in office and to think of others primarily in making decisions for the public. At times of danger the nation is especially at risk from a fattened, corrupt legislature.
The utter failure that is the present United States Congress will be on display as never before soon when the economy completely collapses under the crash of the last federal bubble. Washington will surely then focus on recrimination since myth-making will be much more difficult. With the dollar imploding at home and across the globe, there will be no further stimulus programs possible to fight the Greatest Depression. The central underpinnings of Washington will quickly be punctured. Congress will be convulsed with mud fights. Our national fate in peace or war will lie with the President and the courts and the protest marchers.
So, finally, in the painful light of devastation, without the aid of terms limits or sane congressional district lines, most incumbents will be leaving Congress before January, 2013. The American electorate will have finally had enough of the Big Lie.
Hopefully their successors will be of a drastically different character.
By Stephen Merrill, Editor
Hampton Roads Freedom News
Mr. Merrill is a trial lawyer from Norfolk, Virginia who is the longtime general counsel for the Tidewater Libertarian Party. A sometimes civil rights lawyer, he authored an amicus curie brief considered in the landmark United States Supreme Court case Kelo v. New London.
Mr. Merrill is the editor of the Hampton Roads Freedom News. http://FreedomNews.US
© 2009 Copyright Stephen Merrill,- All Rights Reserved
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