A “must-read” over at RonPaul2008.com on the principles of state’s rights; the 10th Amendment. Here’s an excerpt:
We are working to overcome a hundred years of indoctrination and increased dependency. The Founders would be appalled that, almost 221 years since our Constitution was written, we are now having to re-explain what a Republic is and how it works.
Federalism is the great lost concept.
The Tenth Amendment specifically states that any powers not given to the federal government are reserved by the States and the people. End of story. What we have not given D.C. is still ours.
In recent history, Congress has justified entirely ignoring the Tenth Amendment by citing its “implied powers.†The problem is that the “implied powers†are only those powers used by Congress in pursuance of their delegated powers.
It is possible to streamline operations and return to the states the powers they once held. Dr. Paul is not in favor of immediately abolishing programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security because, while these programs are unconstitutional and ultimately harmful, too many Americans have been made dependent on them for those programs to be immediately ended.
Dr. Paul’s transition plan would cut our overseas spending by several billion dollars and use that money to protect the domestic programs on which many depend, at the same time allowing young people to opt-out of Social Security, and ending the requirement that they pay for Medicare and Medicaid out of their paychecks.
Imagine a return to federalism. What works in one state could be adopted by another. What doesn’t work could be avoided. Currently, we have a “one-size-fits-allâ€-style of governance that forces all states to endure bad policies. If California wants certain energy standards, then they should be able to pass them and see what happens, not enact those standards on a national level and force every other state to adopt the same.
It’s high-time that more people understood not just what the 10th says, but why – and how its restoration will be a huge step in the advancement of your liberty.