The Very Busy Politicians in Washington DC

This edition of Ron Paul’s Texas Straight Talk is a good rundown on how our government works and how is it messing everything up.  It tells how it does work and how it is supposed to work according to the restraints put on government by our Constitution.  As he says the Constitution is not a list of suggestions it is the Law.

It is time to kick the bums out and elect leaders that will stop the slide down hill into oblivion.  When you pile too much on the backs of the people their backs will break.  That is just what is happening.

A weekly column

With a faltering economy, multiple wars, and the approaching demise of the dollar’s reserve status, there are more than enough problems to keep politicians in Washington working day and night.  In between handing out cash for clunkers and nationalizing healthcare, the administration is busy sending more troops overseas, escalating existing wars, and seeking out excuses to start new wars.  Congress is working on “urgent” legislation to address crises like healthcare reform and climate change.  The reforms are so very urgent that legislation must pass swiftly with no time to read the bills even though the new laws wouldn’t take effect for several years!  Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve is busy dealing with our dollar crisis by printing up more dollars.

Yes, there certainly is a lot for Washington to do these days.  Most, if not all, of what Washington is doing however, is more of what created the problems in the first place.  Capitol Hill is filled with politicians running around putting out fires – but with gasoline.  The truth is that all these fires keep so many powerful people employed and wealthy that it is not truly in many decision makers’ interests to be very effective problem-solvers.  If Washington ran out of problems, think how many lobbyists would be out of a job, and how many special interest groups would just disband?  Sadly, whatever is bad for the greater economy is good for the economy and job market in DC.

Of course, no form of government, not even one that respected its Constitutional restraints, would magically create a problem-free society.  The question is: how should a society deal with its problems?  The form of government that our founders envisioned, in which the federal government was strictly constrained by the Constitution, allows private citizens and communities to solve their own problems.  The role of the government should be to protect contracts, punish fraud and violence through appropriate laws, law enforcement and the courts.  Not a whole lot of laws or bureaucrats are really necessary to work on just that.  Instead, new laws are constantly needed to fix the problems that previous unconstitutional laws created.  We have ended up with an incomprehensible maze of laws and regulations that severely constrains the people and expands the government – the exact opposite of what our founders intended.

This is all because the Constitution is treated like a suggestion manual instead of the supreme law of the land.  Under the Constitution, politicians’ hands are supposed to be tied in most of the areas they involve themselves in today.  But somewhere along the line, politicians stepped out of Constitutional bounds and started pretending to solve our problems for us.  All we have to show for it is more problems.

Today, Washington politicians can busily “solve” one problem, knowing that unintended consequences from that “solution” will keep them and their friends all very busy tomorrow.  The people are ultimately left suffocating under the burden of Washington’s helping hands.  It is coming to a point where our economy, our dollar, and indeed, the rest of the world have had about all the help from Washington that they can stand.   The United States is headed the way of Rome and the Soviet Union, for the same reasons, unless we reverse the trend.

I continue to hope that enough Americans will realize that the true strength of our country doesn’t come from Washington, but rather the limitations placed on government in the Constitution.  We must resolve to reverse the destructive course that we are on and then never again let big government problem-solving take over our lives and our country.

Posted by Ron Paul (10-19-2009, 12:53 PM) filed under Civil Liberties, Foreign Policy, Healthcare, Privacy

Comment by DG

October 19, 2009 01:48 PM

Dr. Paul, we are looking for a new George Washington, are you willing to run again and when can we start the next campaign? We need serious help and as of now I don’t see anyone emerging. We state our case to our representatives and they ignore us. Maybe it’s our own fault for being the silent majority for so long. How are we to be heard when they choose not to listen?

Comment by david grose

October 19, 2009 01:51 PM

Congressman, that is simply brilliant. As a New Zelander I have no right to vote in America, but if I did I would surely vote for you to be President. Where are the other wise and unselfish men/women in American politics?
All the best, and warm regards,
David Grose

Comment by james M. Jines

October 19, 2009 01:59 PM

Thank you for your hard work and keeping us informed.
Everything is a crises. My father had a great saying, " Never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over."

He usually told this to employees who would say, "it was a rush job - Mrs Jones was leaving for Europe tomorrow and really needed her eyeglasses today!!!

If you could get the politicians to stop spending money,that would be a great blessing.

Still working hard to pay my share of the Federal Reserve Interest.

Jim

Comment by Keith H

October 19, 2009 02:28 PM

Until states (governors and legislatures) start exercising their standing under The Tenth Amendment, then this will never end. In addition, why does it take 1000 plus pages of text to write a law?

Comment by Ron Muller

October 19, 2009 03:07 PM

Our founding fathers have given us a Constitution which allows us to correct problems like we have today, assuming the people participate.
My belief is that unless we exercise our rights, and in the midterm election of 2010
we vote out all the bad Congressmen and
Senators,I'm not so sure we will still be able to vote in 2012.
It's up to us,THE
PEOPLE !!!!

Comment by Steve Turner

October 19, 2009 03:22 PM

I wish every citizen of our nation would read this and WAKE UP!

Comment by Nancy

October 19, 2009 04:48 PM

I agree with so many of the others...sure would like to see you run again, but I would like to suggest that we need a new party to draw the disgusted from the ranks of the other parties. For some reason, running as an Independent or Libertarian hasn't worked...I think we need a WE THE PEOPLE party or the CONSTITUTIONIST party...a new name for a new movement to get our country back!!!

Comment by Gary McCoy

October 19, 2009 01:27 PM

Go,Go,Go, Pour it on! Obama will ruin this country unless you stand now! I support you 100%!

Comment by Frank Liebert

October 19, 2009 01:54 PM

The real problem is we have to WAIT until Nov 2010. There should be something in place in the Constitution that empowers the CITIZENS to take immediated action when our Reps no longer Rep us and a

Comment by john

October 19, 2009 02:01 PM

I suspect the clearest path toward the resolution you seek is through a Constitutional Convention. In these darkened political times, is this even a possibility? My guess is that the elite power brokers have significantly de-railed access to this process.

Otherwise, we all best hunker down and expect the dreaded 'bank holiday' to happen sooner rather than later.

Good luck to all.

Comment by Eric Opsvig

October 19, 2009 02:18 PM

If you stop fueling the fire it will die out.

Comment by Daisy

October 19, 2009 02:19 PM

Thank you Congressman, It's nice to know that at least one congressman knows whats going on and continues to speak the truth. We appreatiate you more than you can imagine.

Comment by Carl

October 19, 2009 04:36 PM

This is one of your best essays yet, Dr. Paul. Thank you. I'm sad to say that very few of our fellow citizens ever think of anything but their own pleasure and entertainment, so they will never know your wisdom, never do anything but continue to slowly sink into oblivion as the once-great ship United States slowly and continuously sinks below the waves of history.

Our forefathers knew how to clean house and throw out oppressors. How I wish we had their courage and resolve now. We won't even protect our own borders or our own constitution from those who gleefully trample it.

Is there a Minuteman in the house? Are there any vigilantees here anymore? I'm too old now to fight, but I'd do whatever I could if someone would just start the effort to throw the scoundrels out of Washington and all state houses, counties, etc. The country needs a thorough housecleaning. We won't survive much longer without it.

Comment by Mark D. Walsh

October 19, 2009 01:21 PM