Comments and discussion

This is so obvious, why does it need to be said?  The United States government did not create the states.  They were independent, sovereign entities in their own rights.  They needed to agree to a few things in order to survive, have peace at home, and enjoy successful relations--especially trade relations--with foreign nations.  They sent delegates to a convention to solve these problems.  The result was a document to which they all agreed.  That document specified (or enumerated) certain powers the states were willing to cede to a union of them for mutual protection and benefit.  The document was named, the Constitution for the United States and the government was called, the Government of the United States.  The states retained all rights and powers not specifically given up to the United States Government and assumed that they would continue to govern all of their internal affairs as long as they agreed to maintain a republican form of government and hold to a few other requirements listed in the Constitution.

Woodrow Wilson's administration gave us the Income Tax, Federal Reserve, First World War and nationalized the militia into the National Guard which can be called to fight in aggressive foreign campaigns.  It also helped pass the Seventeenth Amendment.  This amendment replaced state legislatures' selection of senators with the popular vote,  The result?  A proliferation of lawmaking, loss of federalism, and greater intrusion by the "federal" (now largely national) government into state, local and private affairs. 

Do you know that the Founders of the United States believed in natural rights?   Natural rights means that people ought to be free to do whatever they want so long as they respect the equal rights of others.  

But what, might you ask, keeps errant or dangerous behavior from causing harm?  Holding to natural rights sounds like following the law of the jungle, where the strongest or fittest win.  

The Founders believed that bad behavior can be controlled in two ways: 1) through self-control bolstered by moral teaching in the home and school, supported by religion; and, 2) by applying external correction.  The primary purpose for organizing into a political body or government was for protection.  In doing this people give up some of their natural rights, usually in the form of taxes or labor, to make rules (laws), to live by them and to pay those who enforce them.

I am getting started on this.  Please be patient.  Today's message is from one of my favorite economists, Dan Mitchell.  You can receive his blog for free, which he makes available several times a week.  Here is a link: https://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/