In this previous post, The Political Shaman described how the loss of the protections we the people had to prevent the federal government from becoming tyrannical. One additional benefit to this is ensuring states compete for population, which is a benefit to the people.
http://thepoliticalshaman.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-democrats-removed-protections.html
The post describes the protections Madison said protected us. Specifically they are the Senate elected by state legislature and the feds Barred from all forms of direct taxation of the people.
The reason for both are simple. Senators having to answer to states for federal costs is easier for the people to control. Our impact on the state legislature is for more direct than a federal senator. Madison said specifically one part of congress needs to be protected from mob rule, which was supposed to be the senate.
The second part is the money. In effect, Madison said without the money, the Feds can't become tyrants. It costs a lot of resources to oppress people. Also, the states governments, who the feds were to bill for most expenses and the Corporations, who the feds could tax are in a much better position to fight off Federal abuses and encroachment on the rights of the individual.
Had the amendments passed in 1913 failed to be ratified, NONE of the socialism, over taxation, regulation or anything else insane the feds do today would have happened. At least at the federal level, which is the point of this post.
The right of the individual person to define his own rights and have them protected by the Federal Government is the sole reason for the Federal Government to exist. That is the only mandate. Anything that gets in the way of an Individual's freedom, property, life and self defined happiness is wrong and against the constitution.
However, Nothing bars a state government from imposing welfare, insane taxation, regulation or anything else. The Feds are supposed to ensure no state gets out of control. BUT if each state was in fact operating under the original constitution of the United States in regards to taxation, welfare and other programs, then each state is an automatic check on all others.
The concept here is each state would pass laws that would be designed to provide whatever the people of that state desired. If for example, the people of New York want to continue to buy into the socialist utopia, then they are free to tax themselves to oblivion in the name of free healthcare, government handouts or whatever else they think a socialist utopia can provide. At the same time a different state, such as Texas, might have no socialism at all and instead have it be every man is free to earn all the money they want and take care of themselves and anyone they freely choose.
The people of America would then move to which ever of the 50 states provided the best combinations of freedom, social programs, healthcare, regulation or whatever. The check or protection is each state could not get too out of control for fear of losing population. The bottom line is any individual would have 50 different choices to move to and live in the type of state that best suits the individual.
With the Federal Government controlling everything and imposing its undesired will on all, we have no choice. All 50 states are in effect the same. The slight differences in taxation or services is just that slight and not really enough to make much of a difference. Really, the 5% income tax in Illinois, compared to Zero in Texas or 10% in California. Who cares, the Feds are taking at a minimum 15% from everyone working in Payroll(no the employer part is in fact yours, FDR made this an illusion) for anyone who hits the lowest tax bracket, you are now at 25% and it goes up. So 5% differences at the state level mean very little.
Remember, Madison was against all of this tyrannical behavior. He knew then that the people individually would never have the ability to fight of an over reaching federal government. The Corporations and States do have the ability to defend the people from the Federal Government. As of 1913, the Feds are enjoying unchecked power and it will never change as long as they can directly take your property with impunity.
All states are in effect the same and have no ability to stop the Federal Government. The only real option an American has is to leave America entirely for any country that does not tax the hell out of productive members of the society. Since this is not really a good option, lets propose eliminating the 16th and 17th amendments, so we can again have states that are a check on the Federal Government. States free and able to tax whatever they feel their people want to pay for and compete against each other for population to ensure no state is over doing anything. Relegating the Feds back to their mandate of ensuring standardized commerce, justice, security, foreign policy and protecting the Individual rights of the people. Sure the Feds have a few more useful responsibilities but none of them would include education, welfare, housing, what toilet I can buy or even how much money I can carry around in my pocket.
