Another Thoughtful Outing From JeffG

Posted on | March 24, 2010 | 28 Comments

by Smitty

Jeff over at Protein Wisdom writes a post called “Unlimited Semiosis and the crisis of interpretation“. He quotes David Harsanyi in the Denver Post:

As a layman, I have little business wading into the intricacies of constitutional law

As a taxpayer, and therefore a member of We The People, you have every right to wade in. All non-sheep must wade in. I suppose you can be a sheep, if you want. “the intricacies of constitutional law,” while accurate, is also indicative of failure. Otherwise, the intricacy piles up, passes the Byzantine horizon, and is crushed under the weight of Orson Welles:

Furthermore, you don’t want your military officers to think themselves unqualified to wade into Constitutional questions. While I have no doubt that the current POTUS will uphold his oath fully and in all particulars, there are worrisome precedents being laid, at a medium pace. Who knows when the country could elect the American equivalent of Caligula?

When you attend Tea Parties, I think you note a healthy military presence. I can’t say that it exceeds the normal society/military ratio, but I’ll venture that those who’ve sworn to ‘support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic’ are deeply curious about this Progressivism that seems to have eaten much of the political vitality of the country.

It is very deeply offensive to have spent several years in uniform calmly defending the First Amendment rights of people to beclown themselves in all manner of ways, and then have spurious charges of raaaaacism thrown at me, yes me (!) by a despicable media. I was at the event, and can vouch for the spirited and friendly outpouring of political expression.

The Constitution (as amended) is something I hold several notches below the Bible itself in importance. Sure, I argue for a proper striking of the portions that have proven bad ideas, like the 16th and 17th Amendments, but don’t expect that to occur other than through Article 5.

The “intricacies” that have cropped up in Constitutional law, like dandelions in the lawn, need to be minimized. Complexity only helps the gatekeepers, not We The People. Complexities often represent a slow-motion hijacking of liberty by a pack of sophists. Goldstein concludes:

At this point, the best thing to do as a society looking to reground itself would be to hold another Constitutional convention. But I just don’t see that happening, what with all the cool HD channels that people now get as part of their basic cable or satellite packages — and what with all the “free” stuff we’re now asking our children and grandchilden to pay for…

Just as our false Moses is marching us from the Promised land to the Progressive Egypt, where everyone has a job on a BFD public works project awaiting them, a bottom-up distributed collection of Mosesses (?) can eventually make an Article 5 convention possible. We have to demand it.

The Progressive project has broken the country in a century. By the power of the Internet, I think we can un-break the country more quickly. But it will require much more ownership by We The People. The fact that you haven’t had 97 miles of sunshine blown up the fundament means that, rather than fannying about, you may add common sense to the discussion.

Category: Protein Wisdom

Comments

28 Responses to “Another Thoughtful Outing From JeffG”

Obi's Sister
March 25th, 2010 @ 1:37 am

Bravo zulu, Smitty!
Obi's Sister
March 25th, 2010 @ 1:37 am

Bravo zulu, Smitty!
Obi's Sister
March 24th, 2010 @ 8:37 pm

Bravo zulu, Smitty!
Lonely Conservative
March 25th, 2010 @ 2:30 am

I’m right there with you on the Article V convention. I think the idea’s picking up steam.
Lonely Conservative
March 25th, 2010 @ 2:30 am

I’m right there with you on the Article V convention. I think the idea’s picking up steam.
Lonely Conservative
March 24th, 2010 @ 9:30 pm

I’m right there with you on the Article V convention. I think the idea’s picking up steam.
McGehee
March 25th, 2010 @ 2:38 am

I’m extremely leery of a convention. The delegates will be politicians appointed by politicians.
McGehee
March 25th, 2010 @ 2:38 am

I’m extremely leery of a convention. The delegates will be politicians appointed by politicians.
McGehee
March 24th, 2010 @ 9:38 pm

I’m extremely leery of a convention. The delegates will be politicians appointed by politicians.
smitty
March 25th, 2010 @ 2:42 am

@McGehee,
Good point, but, nevertheless, Progressivism is a noose about the neck, and the Federal Reserve a gaping hole in the wallet.
So, whaddayagonnado?
smitty
March 25th, 2010 @ 2:42 am

@McGehee,
Good point, but, nevertheless, Progressivism is a noose about the neck, and the Federal Reserve a gaping hole in the wallet.
So, whaddayagonnado?
smitty
March 24th, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

@McGehee,
Good point, but, nevertheless, Progressivism is a noose about the neck, and the Federal Reserve a gaping hole in the wallet.
So, whaddayagonnado?
Ellie Light
March 25th, 2010 @ 2:53 am

What did the founding fathers do?
Ellie Light
March 25th, 2010 @ 2:53 am

What did the founding fathers do?
Ellie Light
March 24th, 2010 @ 9:53 pm

What did the founding fathers do?
Joe
March 25th, 2010 @ 3:24 am

Constitutional Law is too important to be left to lawyers.
Joe
March 25th, 2010 @ 3:24 am

Constitutional Law is too important to be left to lawyers.
Joe
March 24th, 2010 @ 10:24 pm

Constitutional Law is too important to be left to lawyers.
1 – 2- 3 – 4, I declare a trade war « A Conservative Shemale
March 25th, 2010 @ 1:26 pm

[…] What do you think of this? Furthermore, you don’t want your military officers to think themselves unqualified to wade into Constitutional questions. While I have no doubt that the current POTUS will uphold his oath fully and in all particulars, there are worrisome precedents being laid, at a medium pace. Who knows when the country could elect the American equivalent of Caligula? […]
Random Miscellany « Obi’s Sister
March 25th, 2010 @ 5:42 pm

[…] “…97 miles of sunshine blown up the fundament…” […]
jenn
March 26th, 2010 @ 6:28 am

Am I the only one who finds talk of military officers wading into constitutional questions disturbing? If it wasn’t Smitty writing this I would be highly concerned. Talk all you want about the death of the republic, if you really want to kill it let the legions cross the Rubicon. Once that line is crossed it can never be uncrossed and we will truly move into tyranny with the Praetorians making and breaking the government as they see fit.
jenn
March 26th, 2010 @ 6:28 am

Am I the only one who finds talk of military officers wading into constitutional questions disturbing? If it wasn’t Smitty writing this I would be highly concerned. Talk all you want about the death of the republic, if you really want to kill it let the legions cross the Rubicon. Once that line is crossed it can never be uncrossed and we will truly move into tyranny with the Praetorians making and breaking the government as they see fit.
jenn
March 26th, 2010 @ 1:28 am

Am I the only one who finds talk of military officers wading into constitutional questions disturbing? If it wasn’t Smitty writing this I would be highly concerned. Talk all you want about the death of the republic, if you really want to kill it let the legions cross the Rubicon. Once that line is crossed it can never be uncrossed and we will truly move into tyranny with the Praetorians making and breaking the government as they see fit.
smitty
March 26th, 2010 @ 9:22 am

@Jenn,
I submit that we’re coming at the same point from opposite directions.
Sheepish, unquestioning officers are _exactly_ the cretins who will be lured into doing the unspeakable by some orator.
Swearing to support the Constitution, and Knowing What That Means is crucial.
smitty
March 26th, 2010 @ 9:22 am

@Jenn,
I submit that we’re coming at the same point from opposite directions.
Sheepish, unquestioning officers are _exactly_ the cretins who will be lured into doing the unspeakable by some orator.
Swearing to support the Constitution, and Knowing What That Means is crucial.
smitty
March 26th, 2010 @ 4:22 am

@Jenn,
I submit that we’re coming at the same point from opposite directions.
Sheepish, unquestioning officers are _exactly_ the cretins who will be lured into doing the unspeakable by some orator.
Swearing to support the Constitution, and Knowing What That Means is crucial.
Bill Walker
March 29th, 2010 @ 7:35 pm

For reference. All 50 states have already submitted over 700 applications for an Article V Convention call. Congress has refused to call a convention as it required to do. The applications can be read at http://www.foavc.org.
Bill Walker
March 29th, 2010 @ 2:35 pm

For reference. All 50 states have already submitted over 700 applications for an Article V Convention call. Congress has refused to call a convention as it required to do. The applications can be read at http://www.foavc.org.