Concordia res Parvae Crescunt
by Ron Paul
These are frustrating times for the President. Having been swept into office with a seemingly strong mandate, he enjoyed a Congress controlled by members of his own party for the first two years of his term.
However, midterm elections brought gridlock and a close division of power between the two parties. With a crucial re-election campaign coming up, there is desperation in the president’s desire to “do something” in spite of his severely weakened mandate.
Getting something done is proving to be a monumental task. This may be news to the supposed constitutional scholar who is now our president, but if the political process seems inconvenient to the implementation of his agenda, that is not a flaw in the system. It was designed that way. The drafters of the Constitution intended the default action of government to be inaction. Hopefully, this means actions taken by the government are necessary and proper. If federal laws or executive actions can’t be agreed upon constitutionally- which is to say legally- such laws or actions should be rejected.
The vision of the founders was to set up a government that would remain small and unobtrusive via a system of checks and balances. That it has taken our government so long to get this big speaks well of the original design. The founders also knew the overwhelming nature of governments was to amass power and grow. The Constitution was to serve as the brakes on the freight train of government.
But the Obama administration, like so many administrations in the 20th century, chooses to ignore the Constitution entirely. The increasingly broad use and scope of the Executive Orders is a prime example. Executive Orders are meant to be a way for the president to direct executive agencies on the implementation of congressionally approved legislation. It has become increasingly common for them to be misused in ways that are contradictory to congressional intent, or to bypass Congress altogether in enacting political agendas.
The current administration has unabashedly stated that Congress’s unwillingness to pass the president’s jobs bill means that the president will act unilaterally to enact provisions of it piecemeal through Executive Order.
Obama explicitly threatens to bypass Congress, thus aggregating the power to make and enforce laws in the executive. This clearly erodes the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances. It brings the modern presidency dangerously close to an elective dictatorship.
Of course, the most dangerous and costly overstepping of executive authority is going to war without a congressional declaration. Congress has been sadly complicit in this usurpation by ceding much of its war-making authority to the executive because it wants to avoid taking responsibility for major war decisions, but that is part of our job in Congress!
If the President cannot present to Congress and the people a convincingly strong case for going to war, then perhaps we should keep the nation at peace, rather than risk our men and women’s lives for ill-defined reasons!
This administration certainly was not the first to behave in ways that have defied the Constitution to overstep its bounds. Sadly, previous administrations have set precedents that the current administration is only building upon. It is time for Congress to reassert itself and its constitutional role so that future administrations cannot continue on this dangerous path.
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Well Brian Stetten, those having higher polls is only a reflection of how big ignorance really is, this in no way is a good result to be proud of is it? Debt is also another bad indicator are you attempting to praise this idea as well?
The truths or results in our midst tell the true story, making stuff up in you own mind that does not reflect the truth is what?
Please come back when you find yourself because knowledge is made up of my own experiences and not the made up experiences in your own mind.
If one takes up authority without agreement to such terms they have overstepped their boundary. It is conclusive beyond any reasonable doubt that all individuals have personal authority unto themselves and anyone claiming authority over others has self generated the idea in their own mind and the minds of those who support it. This goes against life because life is in support of life and not in control of all other life. These boundaries are personal and shall be recognized as the truth as can be located, understood and known with full certainty. Any mindless idiot making any other authority over is lying to you as well to himself, recognizing this and taking actions of correction should be paramount.
Dictatorships are formed on an incorrect basis and are wrong, this stands without question as well no reason.
Blocking trolls seems to be a more common thing to do now days-- seems some statists are scared of liberty
Brian, Obama is not a capitalist. What we are seeing is weird hybrid of Marxism and Fascism. Upper levels are more fascist with business and government working together, while forcing the people into a more Marxist state. Keep in mind, Communism and Fascism is a Socialistic state taken to the extreme.
Well said by the a true patriot.
Yes, Obama is a marxist. It's obvious. He just hasn't been able to implement ALL the changes he wants...at least not yet.
Obama is a Marxist? Wall Street is having its most profitable period in 50 years. I call Obama a kiss ass capitalist...
Agreed, the Founders understood that every law that is passed equals erosion of liberty on some level. So they made it difficult for just that reason.
Totally agree. RP kicks serious constitutional patootie.
This was interesting - Ron Paul is ok.
Well no one wants to do anything about it, Like impeach him
Brian: Exec Order 13575, then look up Agenda 21.
The person in the White House does not control the 'Presidency.'
VINCE: They are not only scared of it; they hate it. And I'm sure they hate having to pay lip service to it, even as they work tirelessly to destroy it piecemeal. Progressivism was founded in Fascism and evolved into Marxism/Communism, but retaining Fascism as a tool (they call it Crony Capitalism', which they hypocritically rail against and engage in simultaneously).
STETTEN: You know damn well those are not the executive orders being referred to here. Making false analogies doesn't promote your leftist agenda, but makes you look juvenile. Obama has continued the Patriot Act in effect, as well as all of the other intelligence gathering methods put into effect by Bush. In addition, he has issued numerous executive orders which are direct assaults on the Bill of Rights, and on the separation of powers. The difference in Bush and Obama is that Bush is a (misguided) patriot, whereas Obama is a Marxist. I didn't support either of them, but Obama is far more dangerous to America and Freedom than Bush was.
I Love Tyranny, it makes me feel all safe & warm inside to know my government wants to watch & listen to Everything I see & do! I love when Obama does a end around the Constitution because he "Believes" his view of the Constitution says different! He is all wise & all knowing-How can you NOT enjoy your government trampling over your freedoms for your own good of course ;) All Hail Obama the Wise & Wonderful!
"It's okay if he's taking extra-constitutional powers, he's doing it for our own good, don'cha see?"
bALANCE OF POWERS!
Yes, it's true about the system being designed in a way that could not be easily operated and for a very good reason, one way a Pres. will get around those difficulties is using an executive order which is unconstitutional. Boosting drug supplies for shortages of cancer treating drugs sounds like something that was used for good but anything that is used for good usually is also used for bad. It's not parties that are bad it's the character of individual's which are found in both/all parties. Just sayin.
Gotta love the dumbass-in-cheif
Ordering hits on American citizens in foreign lands- that dictator enough for everyone?
Brian Stetten - we consider all modern presidents to act in the style of a dictator. Bush, Obama - and others prior. Pure dictator in the ancient history style? No, but pretty bad for sure...
So, he makes the trains run on time? *LOL*
I was very much against Bush and his ongoing violations of the constitution. The Patriot Act alone tossed the 6th Ammendment right out the window, and I'm certainly not happy that Obama continues that. However, calling Obama a DICTACTOR over such executive orders as boosting drug supplies due to shortages of cancer treating drugs and so forth, are acts that can't even come close to the actions one can pin on a dictator. I think its horrible messaging that perhaps pleases 20% of the hardcore Fox News crowd...it defies common sense.
Ron Paul is, indeed, correct when he says that gridlock is part of the design of our government.
The last time I read the constitution along with all amendment I do not remember seeing even one mention of executive orders
Brian Stetten - real question, were were YOU? the Tenth Amendment Center was founded in 2006...at the height of Bush criminality. Now rather than such a dumb comment to try to imply partisanship, anything further to add about the article itself? If not, don't come back.
Such nonsense. Executives orders from Obama include such actions as a Web site from the Department of Labor to help veterans find work. Wow...that really sounds like the work of a dictator. Where the hell were you when Bush used executive orders to legalize torture? I thought Ron Paul's statement was right out of the Twilight Zone and I think you would be doing yourself a great favor by not supporting it. Ron Paul's rhetoric clearly isn't doing him any favors..a womanizing scum bag is now doing better in the polls than Ron.
executive orders need to be removed from the president. this is nothing but a loop hole for the pretender-n-thief to bypass congress and do everything his way.
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
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