The Constitution is More than a Scrap of Paper

Americans take their Constitution seriously because it is a product of profound scholarly research, intense debate, and reasoned compromise. Arguably, the U.S. Constitution is the most scrutinized social contract in the history of mankind. Most certainly, the volumes written on the American constitutional democracy, starting with the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers, are indicative of its enduring impact.

Yet some people regard the Constitution as an obsolete scrap of paper, having no relevance to modern society.

Primaries, Caucuses & Parties

Not long ago, an editor of a newspaper in my area wrote an article entitled "Caucus mistake by Dems repeated by local GOP". He was expressing his unhappiness with the "back room politics" that dominates most of the nominating processes across the country. I wrote a Letter To The Editor basically telling him, "I feel your pain".

And, of course, I took the opportunity to promote the GOOOH system for nominations, as the timing was perfect.

GOOOH: Confessions of a Dangerous Disposition

If you are over the age of 40, you know who Chuck Barris is. You have seen at least one episode of The Gong Show. You are probably aware that Barris, known to the world as the creator of over 15 popular (yet cheesy) game shows of the 60’s and 70’s, took exploitation of the common man to a new, and decidedly unrefined, level. He did this by preying on humanity’s natural disposition to indulge a common guilty pleasure, watching people make idiots of themselves.  And as for those goofs that Barris cultivated as contestants: where did he find all those people? They are a dime a dozen. We all know that a large segment of society neglect any pursuit of personal excellence, or work to elevate themselves up Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs.” Why bother when there is a chance to win instant fame on The Dating Game?  Hey, it worked for Farrah Fawcett.

The Case for Congressional Term Limits

The Republic is in the grip of a malaise largely brought on by a Congress addicted to power. Decades of encroaching and arbitrary government power have led to exorbitant deficit spending, insolvent social welfare programs, and deference to special interest groups. In contravention to our Founding Father’s Constitutional design, actual sovereignty no longer lies in the people.

After years of great study, reasoning, and debate, the Founding Fathers created a democratic political system designed to guarantee the rights and interests of American citizens. They were well aware that people, regardless of their benevolent intentions, are fundamentally flawed and driven to pursue power. As a consequence, they established a system of checks and balances not only among the three branches of federal government, but also between the federal and state governments.