Posted on 01/19/2011 4:39:19 PM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
The thread title pretty much sums up the argument being put forward by Democrats.
They believe that since commerce can be taxed, and the Constitution gives Congress the power to tax, that they can implement forced commerce and make people purchase health care coverage per the individual mandate.
This argument is similar to "Murder is wrong, therefore capital punishment is wrong." Just as this is a false conclusion (capital punishment hasn't been proven to be murder) and begs the question, so too does the argument being put forward by center-left Democrats. Just because Congress can tax commerce does not mean that they have proven that they have the constitutional right to implement forced commerce so that they tax it.
A person may be able to sue for not being able to rent a room at a hotel (or whatever) on the grounds of discrimination & a court may find in their favor. But that is quite different from a hotel owner trying to sue and force people to rent his hotel rooms.
“”They believe that since commerce can be taxed, and the Constitution gives Congress the power to tax, that they can implement forced commerce and make people purchase health care coverage per the individual mandate.””
So how do they plan to get around the very vocal protests of the president and dems that it was NOT A TAX!!!!
Eenie, Meanie, Miney, Mo!!!!
“”They believe that since commerce can be taxed, and the Constitution gives Congress the power to tax, that they can implement forced commerce and make people purchase health care coverage per the individual mandate.””
So how do they plan to get around the very vocal protests of the president and dems that it was NOT A TAX!!!!
Eenie, Meanie, Miney, Mo!!!!
Butterflies fly and 747’s fly so 747’s are made of butter
Butterflies fly and 747’s fly so 747’s are made of butter
One big problem..how can you force someone to purchase something so you can tax it?
Answer?
To begin with, the Federal government’s power to tax and regulate is not indefinite; else our Founders would not have created a Republic but a despotism of the kind from which they sought refuge. But moreover, there is no Federal power to force a person, as a condition of citizenship to purchase a product or service they do not desire to buy or own. To hold otherwise is to admit to a preference for servitude, which, again is inimical to our nation’s founding principles.
Here’s what Thomas Jefferson said about the power to tax:
“To lay taxes to provide for the general welfare of the United States, that is to say, “to lay taxes for the purpose of providing for the general welfare.” For the laying of taxes is the power, and the general welfare the purpose for which the power is to be exercised. They are not to lay taxes ad libitum for any purpose they please; but only to pay the debts or provide for the welfare of the Union. In like manner, they are not to do anything they please to provide for the general welfare, but only to lay taxes for that purpose. To consider the latter phrase, not as describing the purpose of the first, but as giving a distinct and independent power to do any act they please, which might be for the good of the Union, would render all the preceding and subsequent enumerations of power completely useless.
“It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and, as they would be the sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please.
“It is an established rule of construction where a phrase will bear either of two meanings, to give it that which will allow some meaning to the other parts of the instrument, and not that which would render all the others useless. Certainly no such universal power was meant to be given them. It was intended to lace them up straitly within the enumerated powers, and those without which, as means, these powers could not be carried into effect.”
More importantly, and a fact that is completely ignored by Democrats, is that we didn’t want this!It is obvious they don’t care, and this is really the crux of the issue. It doesn’t matter what they think they can do by twisting words and phrases, if we tell them no, they need to learn to accept that.
You can’t.
Dems have not proven that just because the Constitution gives Congress the power to tax commerce, that they therefore have the power to force people to engage in commerce so that they can tax said commerce.
Whether they wanted to do it or not, they have no power under our Constitution to do so. Let them try to enforce it, and see what happens.
I would add two additional comments. (1) Only citizens would be forced into this servitude; aliens will be given the service for free. (2) A seldom visited item: This is a two-part plan. The first is to force all citizens to purchase the service; the second is to selectively reduce the price for favored groups to near zero.
The second item is rarely discussed; it amounts to servitude of the first group to the second. It is also the sort of monopolistic behavior (sole supplier with ability to charge each purchaser whatever price it desires) that the government has legislated and over-regulated against in the private sector for a century. OK when they do it. And then there's the equal protection issues....
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