Thread: Glenn Beck gets it wrong, wants to rewrite our Constitution!

I was very disappointed yesterday evening (12/28/10), when Glenn Beck on his evening tv show announced he doesn’t like to meddle with the Constitution, but he wants a balanced budget amendment added to our federal Constitution to deal with Congress’ deficit spending. The problem is, Glenn’s thinking presumes our Founding Fathers were incompetent and did not provide a specific method in our Constitution to balance the federal budget. Had Glenn done his homework he would have learned our founding fathers were not incompetent and did in fact provide a specific course of action if Congress’ incoming revenue were found insufficient to meet the Publick Exigencies!

Those who have read our Constitution will probably recall that direct taxation is referred to two times in the document. But has Glenn ever mentioned to his listening audience that direct taxation is specifically linked to dealing with deficits, and if enforced, would make each State’s Congressional Delegation immediately accountable to their Governor and State’s Legislature whenever Congress creates deficit? The answer is no! Glenn has not informed his listening audience how our founder’s intended deficits to be dealt with and the part which direct taxation is intended to play.

So, exactly what were the founder’s intentions with regard to direct taxation? Those intentions are found in several of the State ratification documents, e.g., see Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New Hampshire; June 21, 1788

``Fourthly That Congress do not lay direct Taxes but when the money arising from Impost, Excise and their other resources are insufficient for the Publick Exigencies; nor then, untill Congress shall have first made a Requisition upon the States, to Assess, Levy, & pay their respective proportions, of such requisitions agreeably to the Census fixed in the said Constitution in such way & manner as the Legislature of the State shall think best and in such Case if any State shall neglect, then Congress may Assess & Levy such States proportion together with the Interest thereon at the rate of six per Cent per Annum from the Time of payment prescribed in such requisition-``

If Congress does not raise sufficient revenue from imposts, duties, and miscellaneous excise taxes to fund “the Publick Exigenciesâ€

Unfortunately, it appears that Glenn Beck prefers to re-write our Constitution rather than promote what our founders intended.

But wait Johnwk. If I understand your post and the intent of the Constitution and the framers, Glen Beck's remarks are right on par with the doctrine of all thieves and corrupt worms.

For the founder's understood the value of an honest and sound dollar was linked to the realistic results of the actions of men. Should men wish for an easy buck, then they should squander sound reasoning and responsibility. Remove direct responsibility from the people and let the good times roll.

When one worships at the alter of a dollar, he cares not if it is an honest dollar or dishonest, as all con-men prefer the easiest dollar even if it is deceitfully gained.

The soundness of money has a direct correlation to the soundness of those who possess and use said monies.

By removing the "direct" responsibility from the citizens of the various states, the citizen is lulled into thinking their representatives in Mordor on the Potomac are doing the best they can with spending, even if it feels out of control at times. This voluntary suspension of their better senses and judgment and transference of their responsibility is akin to asking the fox to watch over the hen house.

So this transference of responsibility from the citizen helps to corrupt the representatives and the value of the money, which leads to the degradation of the morality of the society at whole.

Johnwk, does the above post seem as a quantum leap from the thread?

If the constitutionally prescribed method of finance for the operation of the federal Levithan were followed would that help to contribute to the soundness of money?

Originally Posted by roundabout

Johnwk, does the above post seem as a quantum leap from the thread?

If the constitutionally prescribed method of finance for the operation of the federal Levithan were followed would that help to contribute to the soundness of money?

Let me answer your question with something I wrote over 20 years ago:

Honest money and honest taxation, the keys to America’s future prosperity.


JWK



"Of all the contrivances for cheating the laboring class of mankind, none have been more effectual than that which deludes them with paper money. This is the most effectual of inventions to fertilize the rich man's field by the sweat of the poor man's brow."_____ Daniel Webster.

Johnwk wrote,

Let me answer your question with something I wrote over 20 years ago:

Honest money and honest taxation, the keys to America’s future prosperity.


JWK

I like your statement. I agree with it also.

Honest money and honest taxation are both reflections and perceptions of men. Your quote of Webster says as much.

Paper money is the easiest to both "delude" and frustrate men through the manipulation of the paper's quantity and thus quality.

Gold and silver can also be manipulated by dishonest men, but not to quite the same degree as paper, yet the effects can feel every bit as severe.

The same can be said of "honest taxation" as it is managed by men, and dishonest men will wreck havoc on a honest policy to suit their ends.

It would seem that the only way in which to achieve an honest money and a honest taxation would be by a society to take the needed effort to understand the full concept of the two and not only demand accountability, but to continually watch over those in charge of the money and the tax policies.

The 'fox in charge of the hen house' comes to mind.

Am I overlooking anything?....sure hope so.

Thanks Johnwk. Once again it is a great thread and topic.

I was very disappointed yesterday evening (12/28/10), when Glenn Beck on his evening tv show announced he doesn’t like to meddle with the Constitution, but he wants a balanced budget amendment added to our federal Constitution to deal with Congress’ deficit spending. The problem is, Glenn’s thinking presumes our Founding Fathers were incompetent and did not provide a specific method in our Constitution to balance the federal budget. Had Glenn done his homework he would have learned our founding fathers were not incompetent and did in fact provide a specific course of action if Congress’ incoming revenue were found insufficient to meet the Publick Exigencies!

I somehow get the impression from this statement you do not get the warm and fuzzy feeling, or any tingles up your leg that the media, even if presented by a pig in lipstick is doing a very good job on presenting the answers to the problems of our predicament we find ourselves in.

Yet I am sure that Beck with his large staff of researchers must be looking after our best interests as a nation.

Perhaps all that is needed is for someone to send Beck a copy of the Constitution?

I think we should also keep in mind that it can be somewhat tricky trying to interpret the writings of men from so long ago. All most like trying to solve an ancient riddle.

How the heck did you do it Johnwk?

Yet I wonder if it is ever wise to bite the hand that feeds you?

Damn! you two should be on Beck's research staff!
I'm a drink this here beer, hell don't stop now!

Gotta put my 2 cents into this one

IF , the US federal Govt was functioning at only the provisions mandated by the constitution , We could all pay about $10 a year in federal taxes

That would give them more than enough to provide for the common defense and run a post office.

Other than that , I don't think they had the authority to do anything else

"Perhaps all that is needed is for someone to send Beck a copy of the Constitution? "

I think Beck knows more about the constitution than any average 10k Americans

Anyone want to bet?

Originally Posted by roundabout

I was very disappointed yesterday evening (12/28/10), when Glenn Beck on his evening tv show announced he doesn’t like to meddle with the Constitution, but he wants a balanced budget amendment added to our federal Constitution to deal with Congress’ deficit spending. The problem is, Glenn’s thinking presumes our Founding Fathers were incompetent and did not provide a specific method in our Constitution to balance the federal budget. Had Glenn done his homework he would have learned our founding fathers were not incompetent and did in fact provide a specific course of action if Congress’ incoming revenue were found insufficient to meet the Publick Exigencies!

I somehow get the impression from this statement you do not get the warm and fuzzy feeling, or any tingles up your leg that the media, even if presented by a pig in lipstick is doing a very good job on presenting the answers to the problems of our predicament we find ourselves in.

Yet I am sure that Beck with his large staff of researchers must be looking after our best interests as a nation.

Perhaps all that is needed is for someone to send Beck a copy of the Constitution?

I think we should also keep in mind that it can be somewhat tricky trying to interpret the writings of men from so long ago. All most like trying to solve an ancient riddle.

How the heck did you do it Johnwk?

Yet I wonder if it is ever wise to bite the hand that feeds you?

In regard to Beck, let me say he done more to awaken the American people than anyone else I know! But his research staff need to do a little research on our Constitution’s original tax plan as our founding fathers intended it to operate.

In answer to your inquiry on how I “interpretâ€