[quote name='nonsqtr' date='15 August 2009 - 10:01 AM' timestamp='1250344915' post='5509']
I can see how that opinion could arise. Many of our politicians are akin to bureaucrats - they care more about the numbers than the principles.
Look - I understand the practical nature of things.
I am making one very simple point: if you wish to change the contract, that's FINE with me, as long as you let me vote on it....
The equation is very simple: changes to the contract require a vote. That's all there is to it!
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It is already within the contract, you just need to broaden your mind.
The constitution is a tool to realize specific goals. Those goals are connected draw their spiritual nature from the declaration of independence, which is a long document that answers the question 'Why should America be a free nation'? It provides the glue to the unity that is America; it enclothes the genuine spirit of the revolution, protects it, and manifests it in undeniable text.
Let us first analyze the declaration of independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident,
The following truths are true and do not need to be proven - they are available for any who keep an open mind. They are not the dominion of any one group or sect.
that all men are created equal,
The truths contained in this passage are self evident for all who keep an open mind and are not the dominion of any one group or sect because every person, regardless of their status or upbringing or history, is equal to every other person out there. The only qualification is that they are posses humanity within them, and if they do, they are encompassed within 'humanity' and are equal to all others.
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
With the equality in terms of humanity that is located within them, that is in their equal state as human beings, there are certain intrinsic parts to this equal status that if violated constitute such an egregious violation that to violate them is to violate humanity itself. There are certain things that must be present, otherwise they are denied their entry into the spiritual nature of 'humanity'.
that among these are Life
If people do not have life, then they only have death. Life forms the basis of the ability for people to recognize their humanity, because humanity is only recognized in life and not death. Keep in mind that this nebulous idea known as the 'social contract' is not a contract with the divine and the after life - it is a contract that is devoid of all mention of the after life, and is only really concerned with this world.
, Liberty
If life posses the barest entry into this world, then it is liberty that gives people the tools to do different things in order to fulfill their humanity. Life provides the entry into this world; without life, all politics, all action, all thought, all speech, in whatever form it takes, is impossible.
However, fully aware that each person is equal in terms of rights and unique in terms of position in life, in that I can only do things that I can do whereas I cannot do things that you do. For instance, if we share a bottle of the same water for drinking, I am going to physically drink different water than you, even if it may come from the same over-arching source. It is in this sense that liberty comes into play; liberty says that I have the ability to freely do things separately of you. This idea is intrinsic to the equality and humanity of all encompassed within 'all men'.
and the pursuit of Happiness. —
With the basic entry into this world in life, and the basic tool to act as your own person in liberty, also intrinsic to your status as part of humanity or 'all men' is your pursuit of happiness. Happiness is roughly the idea that you can have unity in your life, and desire nought else to get you to this happiness; a truly happy person does not seek to change any more, because they are already at the ideal point in their life where absolutely nothing troubles them or causes them hurt.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
Starting from the premise that is self evident in the basic spiritual nature of 'All Men' in this world, in that All Men are equally entered into 'humanity' and given the tools to act in their own way and pursue happiness and true unity in their own way, there is the realization that these things need to be 'secured' into the material world.
The 'rights' which form the object of the declaration of independence, are entirely spiritual in nature, in that these posses no body. They require a body to enter into this reality. That body is termed 'the government' - for it is the government that 'secures' these rights, much like a home secures a family, or a gun secures a person. Keep in mind this point; it does not say what form the government ought to take, just that it must 'secure', or really, provide a body to 'house' the rights.
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
Finally, this 'government', is really a construction of the people, and not of the church, institutions, or anything other than the aforementioned people.
Now, what about health-care?
It is contained within the basic life clause.
Proof 1: Without 'life' you cannot have liberty, or the pursuit of happiness.
Proof 2a: There is no mother, who when seeing a child bleeding or hurt, will say 'That child doesn't deserve to be helped'.
Proof 2b: If someone is hurt, and recognizes they are hurt, they will seek help
Proof 3: As putting a cast on is to healing a broken leg, getting heart surgery is to healing an ailing heart.
I could go on, but those are the basic and more powerful ones.
Now understanding the Constitution:
We the People of the United States,
Once again this idea of universal equality - that everyone who is a person is part of this 'government' designed to establish the rights.
in Order to form a more perfect Union,
In order to promote a more unified nation. A perfectly unified nation would not be able to progress any further, as such, would be in a state of 'happiness'. Essentially, this is the pursuit of happiness clause but expanded to the national level.
establish Justice,
In pursuit of this state of happiness, there are those individuals along the way that would derail this pursuit for even a single person, and must be not allowed to do so.
insure domestic tranquility
On a larger scale, not just at an individual level, there are groups of people that would disrupt this drive towards happiness or a more perfect union. They must not be allowed to do so.
promote the general welfare
Beyond simply just smoothing tensions among groups and establishing justice for individuals, the government must also work to promote the happiness of groups and individuals.
This illuminates a point - creating a perfect union is to make sure that no individual or group is able to stop progress or the drive, as well as to promote the progress or drive. To stop the bad and to promote the good.
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity
All of these good things are for the founders as well as all of their descendants.
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Give these powers a unifying point - a name, called the 'Constitution'.
It is a more specific phrase than the declaration of independence, but is really the declaration of independence fleshed out into terms that the 'government' can easily understand and look to. Once again, the government is not institutions, but anything that gives rights a body to live in.
Now as to a specific enumerated power:
Article 1 Section 8 - Powers of Congress
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, - we see that it can raise money.
to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare - to provide for the happiness of the general people.
Happiness cannot come except through liberty. Liberty cannot come except through life. To many, life cannot come except through healthcare, which cannot be for many unless it is cheaper and reformed from its current system.
On last note: even though you may disagree with Obama and the democrats, in that the proposed and beliefs driving it forward do not increase the security of these rights, I will argue that they do; that the current system is stale, secures rights for only a select groups of well off people, and stratifies society into those who have 'rights' and those who do not.
Additionally: in its essence, everything that provides a 'body' for rights is considered part of the government. This includes private property. This includes political hotwire. This includes you, me, think for myself, sparta, your mom, the new york state bureaucracy, joe the plumber. A house is only good if it provides for a family; a place of business, while it may be accommodating, is meant for trading and monetary support, not for spiritual support.
