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Monday, January 10, 2011

Congress Reads The Amended US Constitution

This story was amusing. As a publicity stunt, the new House of Representatives read the US Constitution.

It's amusing. More people are starting to get more concerned that government is out of control. To keep the slaves complacent, they're going through the farce of pretending to respect the Constitution.

A Constitution does not prevent abuse of State power. There's an obvious fallacy. State thugs have a monopoly for interpreting and enforcing the Constitution. Legally, there is no recourse if State thugs claim too much power.

The Constitution is not a valid contract. However, a government that respected the Constitution would be better than the current form of government.

The US Constitution is a proven failure. "Return to the original Constitution" is wrong. "Return to the Declaration of Independence!" is much more accurate.

However, they didn't actually read the whole thing. They omitted parts that were modified by later amendments. For example, they didn't mention the embarrassing bits about 3/5 and slavery.

That's technically incorrect. Those parts of the Constitution were made irrelevant by amendments. However, those parts were not explicitly repealed.

I wonder if they read "No State shall ... make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts"?

If they're going to read the amended Constitution, then they should include *ALL* the amendments. Some amendments were formally ratified by Congress and the states. However, the most evil amendments were "ratified" by the Supreme Court. Over time, the Supreme Court has taken an interpretation of the Constitution that severely restricts individual freedom, compared to the original interpretation.

They justify it by saying "The US Constitution is a living document." That's a variation of "The truth is relative." Who would agree to play "living poker", where the casino can change the rules whenever they feel like it?

I decided to "read" the Constitution here. I'm including *ALL* the amendments, including those "ratified" by the Supreme Court. I'm skipping over the boring bits. Bits in square brackets [] are explanations.

The Constitution of the United States (as amended by Congress and the Supreme Court)

Preamble

We the lawyers and insiders of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect System of Enslavement, prevent Justice, ensure that the slaves don't revolt, establish a military-industrial complex, create a Welfare State, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, but not anyone else, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America; even if the people object, that's too bad for them.

[The Constitution was written by a bunch of lawyers. Right away, that's a huge strike against it.]

Article I - Section 1 - The Legislature

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of Lobbyists and Unelected Bureaucrats.

Article I - Section 2 - The House

...

The size of the House shall be fixed at 435 Representatives, even as the population grows. [The 30,000 limit was intended as both a maximum and minimum size for a Congressional district. Until 1910, the size of the House increased as the country grew. Smaller Congressional districts would make it easier for non-insiders to get elected. Large districts maximize the influence of each Congressman. Guess which Congress chose? There was an unratified amendment in the Bill of Rights that specified that the maximum size of a Congressional district would be 50,000 voters.]

...

Article I - Section 3 - The Senate

...

A supermajority of 60% shall be required to pass any law.

Any Senator may place an Anonymous Hold, blocking or delaying a law.

...

Article I - Section 8 - Powers of Congress

Congress has unlimited taxation power. [That pretty much makes the rest of the Constitution irrelevant.]

Congress shall establish a large permanent national debt, that cannot possibly be repaid.

Congress shall have the power to regulate all economic activity, even when someone makes something to use themselves.

Congress may use its taxation power to subsidize insiders, and to require people to buy specific products.

Congress shall create Monopolies and Oligopolies, so that insiders may maximize their profits.

To restrict supply, there shall be a State licensing cartel for many professions, especially for doctors and lawyers.

Congress may regulate all aspects of food production and distribution.

Congress has the power to ban incandescent light bulbs, raw milk, or whatever they choose.

To ensure high Inflation and Unemployment, Congress shall establish an independent central bank. Congress, the executive, and the judiciary should have no oversight of the central bank.

Congress shall establish a system of paper money, based on debt and Bills of Credit. [A Federal Reserve Note is a Bill of Credit. The Constitution gives Congress the power to "coin" money, but not to "paper" money.]

Via taxes and regulations, Congress shall make it illegal and impractical for people to use gold and silver as money.

To prevent the Progress of Science and the useful Arts, patents and copyrights shall be owned by corporate insiders and have nearly unlimited duration.

Congress shall establish a military-industrial complex.

Congress shall create a Welfare State.

Section 9 - Limitations on Congress

Congress can pretty much do whatever it wants.

The judiciary shall pretend to support the Writ of Habeas Corpus, except when it's necessary to jail someone with a trial.

...

Article II - The Executive Branch

...

The President has the power to order the execution of anyone without a trial, no matter whether they are a US citizen or not, no matter where they are located.

...

Article III - The Judicial Branch

...

The Supreme Court shall have the power to decide whether a law is Constitutional or not. Supreme Court decisions should have the same effect as new laws and Amendments.

Congress and the President should say "We don't have to worry if this law is Constitutional. The Supreme Court will correct us if we're wrong." Supreme Court judges should say "Of course this law is Constitutional. Otherwise, Congress would not have passed it."

Article III - Section 2 - Trial By Jury

Given that conducting a jury trial farce is time-consuming and expensive, there shall be a system of Plea Bargains, so that criminals can be coerced into waiving a jury trial.

There shall be extremely complicated laws and regulations, so that prosecutors can easily convict someone once they have decided they are guilty.

...

Article VI - Debts, Supremacy, and Oaths

Given that insiders have purchased Revolutionary War bonds at a discount, these debts shall be honored and redeemed at the face amount.

[A national debt is an excellent mechanism for transferring wealth to the banksters.]

The national debt should be treated as sacred, even though it was mostly spent on pork projects and other waste.

...

Article VII - Ratification

The legislature of each State shall be coerced/bribed into ratifying the Constitution. If the slaves object, that's too bad for them. [The Constitution contains no provision for the Constitution to be put to a direct popular vote. Even if 90%+ of the people would vote for the Constitution, what gives them the right to steal from everyone else via taxes?]

...

Amendment #1

Congress shall create tax breaks and subsidies for organized religion. Certain religions get preferred status. [Amish are exempt from Social Security and Medicare, but if I created a new religion I wouldn't get that perk.]

Freedom of the press will be respected, unless they publish things we don't like.

Political protesters shall be required to stay in "free speech zones".

People need to get a permit from the government whenever they assemble, have a protest, or parade.

Amendment #2

Congress has the power to regulate and restrict gun ownership.

Amendment #3

People shall spend 3 months out of every year, working to support the military-industrial complex.

Amendment #4

Whenever the police ask for a search warrant, the judge will rubberstamp the request. If getting a judge to rubberstamp a search warrant is too much work, the police shouldn't bother.

Police may seize your property without trial. The victim has the burden of proof, to try and recover their property. ["Asset forfeiture" laws make a joke of "unreasonable search and seizure".]

Amendment #5

Grand juries shall have unlimited subpoena power, so that prosecutors can harass people. If necessary, grand juries shall be held in secret.

Trial records can be sealed.

There shall be Federal and State laws that cover the same action, so that someone can be tried twice for the same crime.

People can be held without bail indefinitely, pending trial.

Police may seize your property without trial.

Land may be seized for public or private use, without just compensation. [Kelo]

In a jury trial, the defendant may be barred from mentioning evidence that favors him, or from making arguments that might convince juries to acquit. [For example, if there previously was a hung jury, you're barred from mentioning it during a re-trial. Someone operating a "medical marijuana" store may be barred from mentioning that during a Federal drug trial.]

Defendants and their lawyers are barred from mentioning "jury nullification". If a juror who understands "jury nullification" makes it past biased jury selection, then he may be removed after the jury starts deliberating.

Defendants should be barred from publicly explaining their point of view, even while the prosecutors publicly trash your reputation.

People have the obligation to tell the government about all economic activity and all their property, so that they may be taxed on it. Anyone who owns a business must withhold taxes, report transactions to the government, and work as an unpaid tax collector. [The implementation of the income tax makes a mockery of "right against self-incrimination" and "freedom to contract".]

Amendment #6

Trials shall take a long time, so that lawyers can earn high fees and defendants can be broken. [At the time the Constitution was written, "speedy trial" meant "a week or two".]

In a jury trial, jurors who favor the defendant should be excused.

While serving on a jury, people employed by the State should earn full salary and benefits, while people not employed by the State forfeit their salary while serving on a jury. That helps ensure a pro-State bias for juries.

Criminals don't have the right to confront witnesses and the evidence against them.

To ensure high salaries for lawyers, the supply of lawyers shall be restricted via State licensing requirements. [At the time the Constitution was written, there was no State licensing cartel for lawyers.]

Amendment #7

In a civil trial, when one party is not an insider, the judge shall give summary judgment without a jury.

Amendment #8

Excessive bail shall be required, excessive fines imposed, and cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

For copyrights and patents, statutory damages should be unreasonably high.

Amendment #9

Even if the Constitution doesn't give the Federal government power to do something, they may do it anyway.

Amendment #10

Even if the Constitution forbids the Federal government from doing something, they may do it anyway.

Amendment #11

Government employees are protected by sovereign immunity. They cannot be sued based on actions performed while doing their job.

...

Amendment #13, v1.0

(deleted)

Amendment #13, v2.0

People are required to work for the government, via taxes.

Amendment #14

Limited liability corporations shall be treated as legally equivalent to people.

The executives of large corporations shall enjoy privileges and immunities that regular slaves don't have.

Amendment #15, #19, #24, and #26

Given that an election is a fake choice between insider-chosen candidates, as many slaves as possible should be given the illusion of freedom via the right to vote.

Amendment #16

People and their labor are owned by the government.

Amendment #17

To encourage Federal usurpation of state power, Senators will be directly elected rather than chosen by the state legislatures.

Amendment #18 and #21

Congress has the power to ban marijuana, raw milk, or any substance or product. [It's logically contradictory, that an Amendment was required to ban alcohol, but Congress can ban marijuana.]



It's interesting to read the Constitution, including *ALL* the Amendments. The Supreme Court has amended the Constitution, removing most of the protection it was supposed to provide.

I thought this was an amusing post. I wonder if it'll get a decent number of pageviews? I noticed that "things I think would be interesting" is not correlated with what's actually popular.

4 comments:

Scott said...

Wow, that was pure genius.

Sasha said...

Yeah, it's like making a sex offender to check the age of a victim before committing the rape - it will only add him the pleasure.

Skeptical said...

How has the Supreme Court been limiting the Constitution's protections? I was under the impression that, on the whole, protections originally granted in the Constitution had been expanded. A few examples to prove your point would be nice for reference.

FSK said...

Are you kidding me?

asset forfeiture - plenty of examples

Kelo - seizing property without compensation

Sparf - repealed jury nullification (was later extended by other decisions)

the Supreme Court upheld Roosevelt's gold seizure in 1933

the "gold clause" Supreme Court decisions

the Supreme Court decision that legalized limited liability incorporation

the Supreme Court has upheld Federal gun control laws

Is that enough examples?

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