SPEECH BY RON PAUL BEFORE HOUSE OF REPS ON SEPT 23, 2004
Please forward this to everyone you know.
Mr. Speaker,
the U.S. Constitution is the most unique and best contract ever drawn up between a people and their government throughout history. Though flawed from the beginning because all men are flawed, it nevertheless has served us well and set an example for the entire world. Yet no matter how hard the authors tried, the inevitable corrupting influence of power was not thwarted by the Constitution. The notion of separate states and local government championed by the followers of Jefferson was challenged by the Hamiltonians almost immediately following the ratification of the Constitution. Early on, the supporters of strong centralized government promoted central banking, easy credit, protectionism, mercantilism and subsidies for corporate interests.
Although the nineteenth century generally was kind to the intent of the Constitution, namely, limiting government power, a major setback occurred with the Civil War and the severe undermining of the principle of Sovereign States. The Civil War profoundly changed the balance of power in our federal system paving the way for centralized big government.
Although the major principle underlying the Constitutional Republic we were given was compromised in the Post-Civil War period, it was not until the twentieth century that steady and significant erosion of the Constitutional restraints placed on the central government occurred. With the erosion it not only affected economic and civil liberties but foreign affairs as well.
We now have persistent abuse of the Constitution by the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Our legislative leaders in Washington demonstrate little concern for the rule of law, liberty and our republican form of government. Today the pragmatism of the politicians as they spend more than two trillion dollars annually create legislative chaos. The vultures consume the carcass of liberty without remorse. On the contrary we hear politicians brag insistently about their ability to deliver benefits to their districts thus qualifying themselves for automatic re-election.
The real purpose of the Constitution was the preservation of liberty, but our government...while spending endlessly, taxing and regulating. The complacent electorate who are led to believe their interest and needs are best served by a huge bureaucratic welfare state convince themselves that enormous federal deficits and destructive inflation can be dealt with on another day.
The answer to the dilemma of unconstitutional government and runaway spending is simple - restore a burning conviction in the hearts and minds of the people that freedom works and that government largest is a fraud. When the PEOPLE once again regain their confidence in the benefits of liberty and demand it from their elected leaders, Congress will act appropriately. The response of honorable men and women who represent us should be simply to take their oaths of office seriously, vote accordingly and return our nation to its proper republican origin. The result would be economic prosperity, greater personal liberty, honest money, abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service and a world made more peaceful when we abandon the futile policy of building and policing an American empire.
No longer would we yield our sovereignty to international organizations that act outside of the restraint placed on the government by the Constitution. The Constitution and those who have sworn to uphold it are not perfect and it is understandable that abuse occurs - but it should not be acceptable. Without meticulous adherence to the principle of the rule of law, minor infractions become commonplace and the Constitution looses all meaning. Unfortunately that is where we are today.
The nonsense that the Constitution is a living, flexible document taught as gospel in most of our public schools must be challenged. The Founders were astute enough to recognize the Constitution was not perfect and widely permitted amendments to the document but they correctly made the process tedious and difficult. Without a renewed love for liberty and confidence in its results it will be difficult if not impossible to restore once again the rule of law under the Constitution.
I have heard throughout my life how each upcoming election is the most important election ever and how the very future of our country is at stake. Those fears have always been grossly overstated. The real question is not who will achieve the next partisan victory. The real question is whether or not we will once again accept the clear restraint placed upon the power of the national government by the Constitution. Obviously the jury is still out on this issue.
However, what we choose to do about this Constitutional crisis is the most important in an election of our time and the results will determine the kind of society our children will inherit. I believe it is worthwhile for all of us to tirelessly pursue the preservation of the elegant Constitution with which we have been blessed.
- Speech given by Rep. Ron Paul (14th District of Texas) before the U.S. House of Representatives on September 23, 2004. For more information go to http://www.Ron Paul.com
Informant: Andy Thames
Mr. Speaker,
the U.S. Constitution is the most unique and best contract ever drawn up between a people and their government throughout history. Though flawed from the beginning because all men are flawed, it nevertheless has served us well and set an example for the entire world. Yet no matter how hard the authors tried, the inevitable corrupting influence of power was not thwarted by the Constitution. The notion of separate states and local government championed by the followers of Jefferson was challenged by the Hamiltonians almost immediately following the ratification of the Constitution. Early on, the supporters of strong centralized government promoted central banking, easy credit, protectionism, mercantilism and subsidies for corporate interests.
Although the nineteenth century generally was kind to the intent of the Constitution, namely, limiting government power, a major setback occurred with the Civil War and the severe undermining of the principle of Sovereign States. The Civil War profoundly changed the balance of power in our federal system paving the way for centralized big government.
Although the major principle underlying the Constitutional Republic we were given was compromised in the Post-Civil War period, it was not until the twentieth century that steady and significant erosion of the Constitutional restraints placed on the central government occurred. With the erosion it not only affected economic and civil liberties but foreign affairs as well.
We now have persistent abuse of the Constitution by the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Our legislative leaders in Washington demonstrate little concern for the rule of law, liberty and our republican form of government. Today the pragmatism of the politicians as they spend more than two trillion dollars annually create legislative chaos. The vultures consume the carcass of liberty without remorse. On the contrary we hear politicians brag insistently about their ability to deliver benefits to their districts thus qualifying themselves for automatic re-election.
The real purpose of the Constitution was the preservation of liberty, but our government...while spending endlessly, taxing and regulating. The complacent electorate who are led to believe their interest and needs are best served by a huge bureaucratic welfare state convince themselves that enormous federal deficits and destructive inflation can be dealt with on another day.
The answer to the dilemma of unconstitutional government and runaway spending is simple - restore a burning conviction in the hearts and minds of the people that freedom works and that government largest is a fraud. When the PEOPLE once again regain their confidence in the benefits of liberty and demand it from their elected leaders, Congress will act appropriately. The response of honorable men and women who represent us should be simply to take their oaths of office seriously, vote accordingly and return our nation to its proper republican origin. The result would be economic prosperity, greater personal liberty, honest money, abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service and a world made more peaceful when we abandon the futile policy of building and policing an American empire.
No longer would we yield our sovereignty to international organizations that act outside of the restraint placed on the government by the Constitution. The Constitution and those who have sworn to uphold it are not perfect and it is understandable that abuse occurs - but it should not be acceptable. Without meticulous adherence to the principle of the rule of law, minor infractions become commonplace and the Constitution looses all meaning. Unfortunately that is where we are today.
The nonsense that the Constitution is a living, flexible document taught as gospel in most of our public schools must be challenged. The Founders were astute enough to recognize the Constitution was not perfect and widely permitted amendments to the document but they correctly made the process tedious and difficult. Without a renewed love for liberty and confidence in its results it will be difficult if not impossible to restore once again the rule of law under the Constitution.
I have heard throughout my life how each upcoming election is the most important election ever and how the very future of our country is at stake. Those fears have always been grossly overstated. The real question is not who will achieve the next partisan victory. The real question is whether or not we will once again accept the clear restraint placed upon the power of the national government by the Constitution. Obviously the jury is still out on this issue.
However, what we choose to do about this Constitutional crisis is the most important in an election of our time and the results will determine the kind of society our children will inherit. I believe it is worthwhile for all of us to tirelessly pursue the preservation of the elegant Constitution with which we have been blessed.
- Speech given by Rep. Ron Paul (14th District of Texas) before the U.S. House of Representatives on September 23, 2004. For more information go to http://www.Ron Paul.com
Informant: Andy Thames
Starmail - 25. Dez, 08:16
