James Leroy Wilson's one-man magazine.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

The Constitution or Liberty

My latest at LewRockwell.com:

But even good Constitutions do not guarantee good outcomes. The War on Drugs, or Social Security, or No Child Left Behind, are not bad because they are unconstitutional; they are bad because they are tyrannical and socialistic. It is right and valid, of course, to point out their unconstitutionality; the further federal policy strays from the constraints of the Constitution, the greater our risk of sliding into despotism. But returning to the limits of the Constitution will not solve our problems.

Remember the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, and World War I. All declared by Congress through the legitimate, Constitutional means, and all wholly unnecessary and unjust. Even if we chained ourselves to the Constitution once again, there’s no guarantee we won’t continue our tradition of unjust wars.

3 comments:

  1. On matters of Liberty you argue so lucidly and trenchantly. Therefore, in matters of theology, you are allowed to bomb - and you do with abandon.

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  2. Anonymous4:11 PM CST

    I am newly embarked upon a John Woolman-like quest to awaken the Quaker Friends to the dangers of associations with earthly government principally along lines you pen today. God's government takes place within our heads and hearts and clearly forbids the use of coercion. The lying Paul (Romans 13, 1 - 8 ) not withstanding, we are, if we follow Jesus, certainly not obedient to even Constitutional government overtly. The above commentor has his theological head at his wrong end about you. PS. I hope you mean Contra Dance

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  3. I was entertained by the read. We need new creative thinking to get howdtside the box. I noticed that you are now in eastern washington - pullman?
    If we successfully convince people to resist the tyranny, what forms of expression would arise to keep anarchy in the chaos until the proper ordered system came about to focus on positive solutions to both real and hypothetically real problems?
    (For example - Crichton's topic in State of Fear)

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