printBe they pundits, politicians, government watchdogs, and other dogs (no offense to the canine community), most “critics” of our ever-accreting Nanny State don’t pose the right questions. This is because they appear to lack the requisite philosophical (constitutional or other) and logical frameworks. Unless these players begin directing the arrows in their quiver at the philosophical issues—what is the proper role of the state in this republic, RIP—we will be left with the silly, “To Spend of Not to Spend” debate. (Lackluster logic is harder to fix.)
One example is this Drudge headline (click “Go Back One Page” to view actual headline): “FEDS SPEND MILLIONS STUDYING SHRIMP ON TREADMILLS?? ‘GELATIN WRESTLING’ IN ANTARCTICA??” All the screeching CAPITAL LETTERS and question marks in the world will not fill in the blanks: Is the objection to this particular spending based on considerations of frugality? Or is Drudge’s outrage over the flouting of the Constitution by Feds? A better headline would begin to steer the Idiocracy in the right, critical direction.
The founders bequeathed a central government of delegated and enumerated powers. Intellectual property laws are the only constitutional means at Congress’s disposal with which to “promote the Progress of Science.” (About their merit Thomas Jefferson, himself an inventor, was unconvinced.) The Constitution gives Congress only 18 specific legislative powers. Research and development spending—even for crucial matters as “Jell-O wrestling at the South Pole” and the “shrimp’s exercise ability”—are nowhere among them.
Rights and the Constitution aside, once we we begin to focus on the right issues and questions, the right answers will be likelier to present themselves.
Take the fuzzy discussion facilitated by Neil Cavuto, today, with two mushy-headed women about the right of a school to fine parents for pupil tardiness.
Lis Wiehl, a lawyer no less, was of one (mushy) mind with the other guest, a mother. Both believe that it’s simply unfair, in these tough times, for schools to penalize busy parents when kids are late for school.
The question here is, of course, not only about pedagogic purview; it’s about individual responsibility. Kids of a certain age ought to be responsible for their actions. Teachers are supposed to be able to enforce minimal attendance standards. If a child in high-school is tardy, he or she ought to be punished, not his parents.
But pedagogues, parents, pundits and most politicians are all-over-the-map—incapable of articulating the simple issues at hand. If thinking is so disordered and illogical, solutions will be no better. (In the last example: teachers should wait for better economic times before they fine parents for the actions of their kids.)
UPDATE (May 27): STATE DEATH SQUADS. With grim determination William N. Grigg dogs the perps in Police State America. Here they are breaking and entering and, then, killing the occupant of the invaded private property. Look at the goons! Talk about “The Myth of Posse Comitatus.” What is this if not the deployment of the US military against the people?
A YouTube poster appended an excerpt from our dead-letter Constitution: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
The speedy execution of Jose Guerena (“it’s complex,” say officials) was mislabeled by our official cognoscenti. FoxNews bobbleheads debated whether this bloodbath amounted to the use of excess force, and entertained an apologist for the SWAT fucks who shed tears over the split-second decisions these, our great defenders, undertake in the course of defending us against alleged tokers.
The only relevant debate here is: whose property is it anyway? Does a man have the absolute right to defend his abode from invaders whomever, however? The only answer: “YES, YES, YES.” If you’re vaguely compos mentis, this is the only debate you should dignify.
[For those of you who await the weekly, WND.COM column: it will be back next week. I’ve been under the weather.]
Get well – I am hoping to see you and Sean in August. [Very cool; Sean enjoyed meeting you.]
I have spent the last 40 plus years watching “conservatives” who scream about the budget while growing government more and more and more. Sounding sanctimonious about the constitution 0.0001% of the time when it comes to Bear Fornication or National Public Radio while ignoring a completely illegal war in Libya doesn’t give me much hope. Cutting even one week of the Afghanistan War on Neanderthal Pushtuns would pay for hundreds of Kangaroo Wrestling Matches in Jello. These lamebrains must be pounding their puffed up chests with pride that some staffer can find one of these “Golden Fleece Award” candidates:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Fleece_Award
which was originally set up by Democrat Senator William Proxmire.
Jesus would have a good response to these Big Government Hypocrites self-proclaimed “fiscal conservatives”:
http://bible.cc/matthew/7-5.htm
“You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the piece of sawdust from another believer’s eye.”
Here is one of my favorite examples of how conservatives act (and, ironically, Democratic governor Kaine turned down the Federal money):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/15/AR2007121500773.html
Conservative favorite: “Abstinence ‘education’ “. Amazing how I “learned” to not stick it everywhere without federal money!!!!
I got banned from commenting at HuffPo for criticizing their hysterical and misleading headers. I’m quite proud of that, actually… 😉
So glad you’re feeling better, WND (and me) miss your presence.
Your critique of constitutionally-flaccid conservatism is spot on. One of my theories concerning the relatively ho-hum reception of the current GOP field is that honest conservatives can’t tell the Tea Party types what they desperately want to hear: “We can balance the budget, garrison-state the world, keep taxes low, AND continue free social security and medicare ponies for everyone”.
Brighter GOP bulbs know they can’t promote this with a straight face, hence will not bother running.
Ron Paul is the exception, but he’s not in the GOP mainstream. (unfortunately)
“You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the piece of sawdust from another believer’s eye.” Thanks Myron. This is the first time I’ve seen that quote on the net. Actually though, I don’t think they would understand what Ilana is referring to.
Hope you are feeling better. What has happened to “you are responsible for your actions”? Mushy headed is apropos.
Again, spot-on! As has so often been said here, without first principles, our only recourse is to pragmatism. How can all of these so-called conservatives wax eloquent about constitutionalism and then label as insane a man (i.e. Ron Paul) who actually takes the original intent of that document seriously? How exactly are they conservative? What are they conserving?
Okay, I know the answer to that, but I still hate it!
I do have a disagreement with Ron Paul and the “better” elements of the Tea Party movement – and that is on the tactical “no tax increase” alliance with the “borrow and spend” Welfare-Warfare Republicans. The trouble with the “starve the beast” concept is that most Americans live in the present and are perfectly fine with: agribusiness subsidies, HuD housing, Astronaut ballet, foreign aid, No-Child-Left-Behind, Medicare/Medicaid, etc. AS LONG AS THEY DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT! This is similar to the apathetic college kids who could care less about Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan since it is paid mercenaries and not them getting shot at by the Mujihedeen. Broken windows are fine as long as you don’t have to see the window!
Because of this, I think tax increases may be the ONLY way to get Americans teed off enough at big government to shut it down. Otherwise, we will keep spending until the Chinese/Europeans/etc. shut the spigot and, in the meantime, listen to the bloviating O’ Reillys pontificate about the 0.000001% of the budget spent on Bear Fornication Studies!