This morning, I posted a comment on the Wall Street Journal's Website. The post said it was posted in the PM - perhaps there is a time zone setting I'm expected to manage.
My comments were in response to a poll question asking if we should implement a VAT tax.
Anyway...
Here is my post, for your edification and enjoyment:
Certainly, our economy and our situation is a complex one, with many factors playing into it. I do not pretend to know all of the factors, but one thing is clear. I have read the Constitution of The United States of America (several times). It isn't too long of a read, and if you haven't read it yet - what are you waiting for? I believe, at the core of our National problem, lie terrible injustices done to the agreed upon meaning of the words within our Constitution. Ultimately, the interpretation of the Constitution has been left in the hands of the Supreme Court. Much like, at one time, priests were the sole instruments of interpretation for the Bible. However, the Constitution is in plain English, and can be understood by anyone with a head on their shoulders. The simple fact is that our National Government has passed beyond the boundaries established by the enumerated powers established in the Constitution. In my humble opinion, any reasonable person would only deny such a clear fact for fear of having to fix the problem. I have not done the research to establish when this first happened - it was a long time before I was born. But abuses as easy to spot as obviously incorrect interpretations of what has become known as the "General Welfare" clause, and the "Interstate Commerce" clause are to blame for much of our current situation. I do not believe that everyone's taxes would necessarily decrease, if we went back to our Constitutional roots. It is quite possible that State taxes would increase as National taxes decreased dramatically. And there will always be corruption and waste, because we are imperfect creatures. However, keeping the taxation and spending more local, increases our ability to be fruitfully vigilant. Keeping the majority of the power local also helps to manage corruption. Our founding fathers knew this, and that gnosis drove the creation of the Constitution. We have stepped out of the boundaries they established to help us avoid tyranny, and we are slipping towards that which they feared the most. We need to start with Constitutional education. We the People need to understand what we were given in the Constitution, and why. Ultimately, we will need Supreme Court Justices who are willing to make an honest interpretation of the Constitution, and overturn decisions that polluted our freedom for the sake of expanding National power. And, we will need State governments who are ready to pick up the slack left behind, from the dismantling of National programs that just should never have been. This is the only American solution to our Economic woes. This is the only true way we can cut spending in a meaningful way. Yours in Liberty, Ken Walling, CISSP, GREM
