Scalia To Student: If Taxes Go Too High ‘Perhaps You Should Revolt’

WNEW-FM ^ | April 18, 2014

[2ndDivisionVet]

Knoxville, Tenn. (CBS DC) – Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told a crowd of law school students that if taxes in the U.S. become too high then people “should revolt.”

Speaking at the University of Tennessee College of Law on Tuesday, the longest-serving justice currently on the bench was asked by a student about the constitutionality of the income tax, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports.

Scalia responded that the government has the right to implement the tax, “but if it reaches a certain point, perhaps you should revolt.”(continued)

[upchuck]

Last line of the article:

“The Constitution is not a living organism for Pete’s sake,” the justice said, according to the report. “It’s a law. It means what it meant when it was adopted.”

Amen judge!

[chris37]

What about tyranny, Judge?

What should we do about that?

[lonevoice]

Whoa. Justice Scalia must have a very clean closet indeed to speak such a truth in this age of tyranny, unprecedented domestic surveillance, and the unrestrained lawlessness of every single government agency. Stay safe, Mr. Justice.

[Repeal The 17th]

Some other FReeper (can't remember who it was) pointed out the other day
that the main thing about the 16th amendment wasn't the "tax on income"
but that a federal tax, for the first time ever,
could be levied upon an individual citizen.
Up until that time, there was very little interaction
between an individual citizen and the federal government.

AMENDMENT XVI
Note: Article I, section 9, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 16.
"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes,
from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States,
and without regard to any census or enumeration."

"Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes ... without regard to any census or enumeration.

[The Cajun]

Wonder if Scalia is hinting that the Ballot box may no longer be a solution due to the near complete corruption of all three branches of government.

[PapaNew]

Well, at this point, if we don’t get an acceptable outcome from a limited Convention of States or a “radical” anti-government POTUS, then, yes, states should begin nullifying unconstitutional federal law, begin severing financial ties with the feds, and move to low, flat taxes and the free market. Pretty soon, that state will be richer than the federal government.

[mylife]

Are we at the tipping point?
It feels like we are past the tipping point.

[lee martell]

November of 2012 election results proved that. Dead people voting, precinct captains verbally harrassed and literally thrown out of the ballot office if they were seen as likely Republican on Tea. Look at how loudly the Dems howl about voter ID cards. They do not want to give up that easy gravy train. The corruption is baked deeply within the cake.

[Amendment10]

... Unfortunately, the 16the amendment explicitly allows for income tax to be levied.

While I would support repeal of 16A because it ignores other tax-related constitutional clauses imo, I actually don't have problems with it for the following reason. 16A doesn't constitute an excuse for Congress to ignore its limited power to lay taxes, imo, which I indicated in previous post.

In fact, I think that the states should amend Justice Marshall's clarification of Congress's limited power to lay taxes to the Constitution where corrupt Congress can continue to ignore it. /sarc

[BuckeyeTexan]

It feels like we are past the tipping point.

We are. Some of us are waiting on the rest of us to CATCH the *%+# UP!

Slackers. Heh.

[thecodont]

November of 2012 election results proved that. Dead people voting, precinct captains verbally harrassed and literally thrown out of the ballot office if they were seen as likely Republican on Tea. Look at how loudly the Dems howl about voter ID cards. They do not want to give up that easy gravy train. The corruption is baked deeply within the cake.

Ever think that if in casual conversation you mentioned to these people, "I'm so unsure about voting in the next election, I don't know if my vote will count" would they HASTEN to reassure you that yes indeed your vote DOES count, and then they might pause and ask, "What is your party registration?" as a way of checking?

[mylife]

The Taxation has almost become a side matter.
It is the tyranny that is out of control.

Threats of taxes, threats of fines, threats of jail, threats of murder.

[BuckeyeTexan]

FReepmail me to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the SCOTUS ping list.

[PapaNew]

Well, at this point, if we don’t get an acceptable outcome from a limited Convention of States or a “radical” anti-government POTUS, then, yes, states should begin nullifying unconstitutional federal law, begin severing financial ties with the feds, and move to low, flat taxes and the free market. Pretty soon, that state will be richer than the federal government.

[mylife]

I was reluctant to jump on Cliven Bundy’s side, but what has become very obvious is this Gov is out of control.

[B4Ranch]

[Amendment10]

... Note: Article I, section 9, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 16.

As mentioned in related threads, it remains that before 16A was ratified, the Supreme Court had clarified that Congress cannot lay taxes in the name of state power issues, essentially any issue which Congress cannot justify under its constitutional Article I, Section 8-limited powers.

“Congress is not empowered to tax for those purposes which are within the exclusive province of the States.” —Justice John Marshall, Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824.

Also mentioned elsewhere, not only is the Court's clarification of Congress's limited power to lay taxes still in effect imo, but the states need to amend Justice Marshall's statement to the Constitution where corrupt Congress can continue to ignore it. /sarc

[joethedrummer]

Said "Tree of Liberty":

[BuckeyeTexan]

So was I. I was one of the loudest here telling people to be cautious about picking his hill to die on.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Agreed. I am willing to give Levin’s Liberty Amendments a go. Failing that, it’s past time to cut ties or go to Washington to physically and peacefully remove the beasts from their lair.