If only we had the right people in office

I think this myth can be destroyed along with "for the greater good". The system we have, fattened and corrupted by income taxes, will not be improved by plugging in different players, not substantially , anyway. It's not like Fantasy Football where different players can make a huge difference.

Our government needs systemic changes, with a few changes being -- repeal the 16th Amendment, rewrite the commerce Clause and clarify "general welfare". These three fixes would go a long way toward saving America from socialistic collapse, like Rome collapsed long ago from the sheer weight of pedal-to-the-metal bureaucracy and statism. 

As I've written about lately, and quoted from Frank Chodorov, it's not likely that the American people will even consider making these changes, and certainly no political leader is going to bring it to the forefront of the American consciousness. Which brings up a question -- are there any political leaders capable of fighting statism? Will this fight, if, indeed, it is a fight, against statism be a leaderless battle? It seems that all revolutions and counter-revolutions require brave and wise leaders. Well, perhaps not, because if Chodorov was right and the 1913 passage of the 16th Amendment was a Revolution, then perhaps great change can come from a popular movement with no identifiable leader. I suppose you could say that Teddy Roosevelt and Taft were the leaders, but no one had any idea a Revolution was taking place -- the people simply wanted to soak the rich, and the government liked the idea of having that great source of revenue.

The sad part of all this is that after decades have passed, people still want to "soak the rich" and haven't caught on that the rich aren't the problem. The fact that this is so is a testament to the power of State propaganda and control. 

Leaders or no leaders, if we repealed the 16th Amendment, many people wouldn't comprehend the impact, but it would be world changing. Changing players in a bad system doesn't work -- changing the system does. Giving government the power to raise a limitless amount of money creates statism -- limiting the revenues the government can raise limits the government's power.

I firmly believe that unless the states combine to repeal the 16th Amendment we can not stop statism, no matter who is in office.

Comments

[Jay Chambers]

Exactly. That line is the central intellectual failure of statism, from both the right and the left.

[Mike Farmer]

Thanks, Jay