Both major political parties had the power to control or end enslaving national debt over the last 50 years, but both failed. Neither even tries anymore. Neither party had the guts to say no to gifting and now only increase the burden of debt on our defenseless children and grandchildren.
The hard truth is, there will be no Social Security for the children of today. The present path offers only the loss of liberty and bankruptcy.
Our national debt exceeds 23 trillion dollars. To pay this debt today, each taxpayer owes $186,578 immediately. Our largest creditors, in order, are: Medicare/Medicaid $1,253,523,000,000; Social Security $1,044,752,000,000; Defense/War 673,433,000,000; Income Security (welfare) $301,114,000,000; Net Interest on Debt $374,060,000,000; Federal Pensions $287,602,000,000; and Food/Agricultural Subsidies $151,840,000,000 (USDebtClock.org).
Even with the present robust Trump economy (the best in several decades), debt has continued to escalate by 4 trillion dollars in the last three years. We face Armageddon which, at this late date, may not be avoidable.
We have indebtedness because both political parties failed to keep their oath of allegiance to the Constitution and follow it. If we do not get back to the Constitution with a strictness that we are not accustomed to, the new slaves (those encumbered by the debt of those before) will not have freedom. If the Republic falls because of this national debt threat, the new tyranny will not restore the gifting programs responsible for the fall -- the above programs will disappear either way.
Yes, the expensive programs will go away -- at least at the federal level -- regardless; but we can yet save the Constitution and liberty if we have the will. All power not listed in Article I, Section 8, or elsewhere in the document, or added by way of amendment to the Constitution thereafter, is a state power or left to the people.
Amendment 10 of the Bill of Rights: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution ... are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Of the seven highest creditors listed above, only Common Defense was specifically authorized in the Constitution. Constitutionally, the others should have necessitated Article V authorization, an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the states. This did not happen.
Most of the programs of the 20th century, most policies presently advocated by the Democratic Party, and the infrastructure program advocated by President Trump, are outside Article I, Section 8, and are state prerogatives per Amendment 10, thus cannot be implemented constitutionally without state permission. The hard truth is that these programs lack specific constitutional authorization. All six others, although now seen as "sacred cows," are entwined with gifting which has accelerated beyond our ability to control.
The legislative branch was limited to only four areas of law-making power: to tax, to pay the debts, to provide for the general welfare and to provide for the common defense. These are laid out in Article I, Section 8, Clause 1, prior to the first semicolon, so essential to the proper interpretation of Section 8. To tax needed one qualifier, that such must be "uniform throughout the United States," but in the same article, Section 7, Clause 1, the power to originate a tax was given to the House of Representatives. To pay the debts needed no qualifiers. But no one in the Constitutional Convention trusted Congress with a free hand in deciding the two other powers, general welfare and common defense. Either could mean anything to a power-grabbing federal congress. Each of these needed eight additional qualifiers for clarity, so Clauses 2-9 were the law-making powers of Congress with respect to general welfare and Clauses 10-17 respecting common defense.
The long 18-paragraph sentence (yes, sentence) ended with Congress having the power "to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers..." (those listed). Congress was never given the power to make any law it thought desirable but only within four parameters and 17 qualifiers. Section 8 is the most ignored, most abused part of the Constitution. The hard truth is that Congress was not empowered to make any law outside the 17 qualifiers without Article V permission of the states -- even if every member of both houses approved.
A careful read of Section 8 reveals that the Founding Fathers gifted no individual or group. It only provided a level playing field, enabling citizens to gift themselves by their work ethic and talent.
So what is the constitutional solution to ending enslaving national debt? End gifting! Begin by initiating a bill or amendment that requires all future requests for gifting to accompany the constitutional wording that authorizes such. If such wordage does not exist, the new bill cannot proceed.
Next, begin to remove all existing gifting measures of the past that are not specifically identified in Article I, Section 8, Clause 1-18, or added by a constitutional amendment thereafter -- even those longstanding and sacred. These should be transferred to, and entirely funded by, the states as soon as possible. States that wish to retain portions of the gifting are not prevented from doing so under the Constitution as written, nor are the states that wish not to do so prevented. But each state must fund its own programs.
There is hope. The Constitution can save us, but only if we have the resolve to use it as written.
Harold W. Pease, Ph.D., is a syndicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history and political science from this perspective for more than 30 years at Taft College. To read more of his weekly articles, visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 11/20/2019