General View of the Powers Conferred by The Constitution
For the Independent Journal.
MADISON

Federalist Paper #41

This ought to be interesting.  A general view of the Powers...

"to guard as effectually as possible against a perversion of the power to the public detriment. "

Can it possibly be defended that our government has acted in the best interest of the people in the past 50 years?  Very few times throughout that period can anyone pick out a policy that the public has actually benefited from.  Sure Reagan lowered taxes, but they never should have been that high to begin with.  Instead they have added an ever increasing load of spending on the people.  The only time spending was lowered was when Newt was in charge of the budget.  Lowering the spending is crucial if we are to ever leave this recession/depression.  Today Glenn Beck had a great show on what if's.  What if our economy collapsed?  What if people started banding together in defiance of the government?  What would happen to the power vacuum if we fell from power?  It was very entertaining show to say the least and informative to say the most.  Some of the scenario's he put forth were not that far from probable in my opinion.

1. "Security against foreign danger;
2. Regulation of the intercourse with foreign nations;
3. Maintenance of harmony and proper intercourse among the States;
4. Certain miscellaneous objects of general utility;
5. Restraint of the States from certain injurious acts;
6. Provisions for giving due efficacy to all these powers."

Now...isn't that just the best list anyone can possibly imagine.  Where does the majority of our budget come under?  One would think 1 and Im sure our founding fathers thought so, but instead 4 takes the crown.  Ever notice when someone puts something under miscellaneous, it is there because it is such a small amount it doesn't deserve its own group?  How can social security, medicaid and welfare take up 1.3 trillion and be mentioned under misc.!?  I also notice that welfare is not a general utility, nor is medicaid, or social security.  I will go my entire life and not use welfare, so why should I pay in for it?  Am I going to get a check later?  I also do not have the choice to use it at anytime I like as with other such utilities that one could argue.  I can use the freeway system anytime I choose, or the USPS and hence they can be called general utilities, but I cannot use welfare unless I qualify, but I pay in all the same.  Such a travesty.  Hamilton mentioned the 4 reasons a government should be formed in the 23rd paper, but I believe this list takes the cake on bringing the lack of constitutionality down on the democrats.  I have said it before, all bills passed should be proven to be constitutional, not the other way around.  Do I go about proving that 2+2 does not equal 5?  or 6?  or 7?  no...One proves 2+2=4.  Proving in the negative is counterintuitive and shouldn't be done.  You are not, guilty until proven innocent.  A prosecutor must prove that you are guilty.  A congressman must prove that his bill is constitutional before it can even be voted upon.

"It will present liberty everywhere crushed between standing armies and perpetual taxes. "

No one doubts why he would include standing armies in this context, but perpetual taxes?  If that be true, we have crushed our liberties without the standing armies forcing us into submission.  We have gone gladly into the pit and are now awaiting execution by our enslavers.  Years ago, we were once partners, or possibly even the superior,  with our enslaver instead of being whipped like today.  The government has ever so slowly closed its grip around the people of this nation and we are now in the midst of socialism and nationalization of the banks.  How many companies does the government now own?  Obama is silent on the issue and Gibbs won't answer questions, yet we all know what they are thinking on nationalizing the banks.  Government is the answer right?  How wrong.  On the Glenn Beck show tonight, he had on many experts talking about these doomsday scenarios.  One mentioned that we are not in a situation that has never been seen before.  Other countries have been in our same situation and each and every time the government went for socialism/communism and the country ended up in chaos.  We are now following in the same footsteps.  Check out foxnews.com and find Glenn Beck for the videos.  It was under the war room and it has 3 videos on the worst case scenarios.  http://www.foxnews.com/glennbeck/index.html 

"The power of levying and borrowing money, being the sinew of that which is to be exerted in the national defense, is properly thrown into the same class with it."

It seems that every time PUBLIUS, being Madison or Hamilton, give reason for indefinite taxes, they use the military as the reasoning.  Perhaps that is a typo and they meant social programs instead?  Had the military been taken out of the equation, they would have been hard pressed to find a reason to give the government an infinite limit on taxation, yet our government spends most of its money on other means.  It is too bad that they didn't put a limit on the spending that could be done on non-military items, but I suppose they didn't want the constitution to be outdated in any way at any time. 

"Nothing is more natural nor common than first to use a general phrase, and then to explain and qualify it by a recital of particulars."

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  So basically a militia is the right of the people to keep and bear arms, with the reason for it not being infringed is that it is necessary for the security of a free state.  I cannot understand how anyone can possibly not understand that.

He will continue on those 6 classes of powers in the next paper.  I can't wait to see what #4 holds. 

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" Edmund Burke