“Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget the state wants to live at the
expense of everyone.”
~ Frederic Bastiat
The United States of America has, more or less, kept to its founding’s ideals of a free market; hence, this blog will concentrate on the U.S.A. In the 1940s, Ludwig Von Mises wrote, “Although the evolution of bureaucratism has been very rapid in these last years, America is still, compared with the rest of the world, only superficially afflicted.” A lot has changed since the 1940s. Today, every American depends on the government, in one sense or another, and therefore wants to live at the expense of it. They depend on the government for justice, welfare, child education, protection from foreign powers and health. In other words, it is a semi-socialist society breaking away from its constitutional foundation. Even small government conservatives rely on programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and public works such as road and bridge construction. Consequently and unknown to most, the government wants to live at the expense of Americans. From power, fame, control, money, false self-congratulatory pride… they in turn depend on the people’s dependency in order to stay in power. This blog assumes all of this to be true.
How do Americans return to its core values? They use the American Constitution. How do they inform its fellow citizens that government “wants to live at the expense of everyone”? They also use the American Constitution. After the failure of the unimpressive Articles of Confederation, the founding fathers created the American Constitution, more importantly the attached Bill of Rights and amendments. The amendments have given each generation a chance to correct any problems the original document might have had (i.e. “ three fifths of all other Persons”), to protect the original constitution, and to make necessary changes for changing times. One thing that has not changed over time is the need for small government. Over the past couple of centuries, many countries have slowly transformed into socialistic societies, like France, Canada and the United Kingdom. Since the early 1900s, the U.S. has also gradually become more socialistic, particularly with a growing list of entitlement programs.
Congress needs to propose 4 new constitutional amendments. Currently there are 27 amendments. A total of 31 amendments are needed to change the over reaching scope of government and to educate the public about the controlling power elected officials have.
Amendment XXVIII: Cap (lower) all government workers salaries
Amendment XXIX: Limits on government expansion
Amendment XXX: Repeal Article I, section 8, line 16 “To establish Post Offices…”
Amendment XXXI: Campaign donations must be made public
To continue, useless bureaucracy must be eliminated. Of course, this is easier written than practiced, especially when you are discussing government. Regardless, most entitlement programs have to be eliminated. American citizens must realize they should not count on the government for their happiness. They must earn their happiness; it is the American way. Similar to amending the constitution, this will inform American citizens of the role of a limited government; a government that will no longer depend on promising entitlements to certain groups of people, just so they can stay in office. This, of course, will be protected by the 29th Amendment, which limits governmental expansion. Subsequently, some entitlement programs will stay, public education being one of them. This, of course, is not to be handled by the federal government, but by individual states, as it is now.
Education financed by state governments is indeed a socialistic facet, but it is necessary because all children deserve the chance to excel, not just children from wealthy families. This should be kept at the state level, and funding should be granted upon that state’s budget. So, public education is socialism, but necessary socialism. Let it be used effectively. Let it teach the children civics in detail. Have them memorize their country’s Declaration of Independence, the American Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Teach them about Soviet Communism and don’t just tell them it was bad, explain why it was bad. Children should not grow up hating communism, and not knowing what it is. Explain what communism is and why the American capitalist system has succeeded, why it is moral, why it can continue to thrive and why it cannot afford to be limited by the government, only protected by it. This should be the standard in the American school system. Children will grow up understanding how government officials, unchecked, grow into tyranny, and how it is their responsibility to stop this from happening.
Constitutional Amendments
The process of changing the American Constitution is strenuous, and rightfully so. The constitution does not need bureaucrats changing it at their whim. Article 5 of the constitution says that two thirds of Congress can propose an amendment to the constitution, then two thirds of the state legislators must call on Congress for a Constitutional Convention, then, and finally, the state legislators need to approve the amendment by a three fourths vote. It is not simple.
If Americans are going to prosper, they need government officials who protect their liberty, not ones that use them. They need government officials who follow the framework designed by great men such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Two hundred and twenty-two years after the ratification of the constitution, a 28th Amendment must be proposed. Congressmen who are brave, freedom-loving, selfless Americans need to take a stand. It is time to cut the salary of all government officials who make over $100,000 a year. Does this sound like socialism? It’s not. Government officials are not to use the United States of America as a business plan. Their jobs are to protect American liberty by protecting the constitution. As inflation inevitably grows in the economy, salaries will change, but should always be capped. This will help bring down the federal budget. This will provide the government with officials who do not make decisions based on money and at the same time, acquiesce to certain demographics, promising them goodies that the country cannot afford. This brings us to yet another amendment.
Amendment 29, limit the size of government. By reading the constitution, one would think it provides an outline for limited government. Time has told otherwise. The legislative and executive branch of the United States of America, need limits on all frivolous work they do every year. In fact, the less they do, the better. When the government cannot pass legislation like the 2010 universal healthcare or 2003 Medicare prescription-drug plan, it is better. The free market can provide these services for the public and does not need the government. By these pieces of legislation, and many more from over the past century, being passed, a country of dependent people has emerged. The U.S. does not need dependent people; it needs independent people. By strictly limiting the power of the government, Americans will depend less on it, and the government will depend less on them.
The American Postal Service has been the scorn of many people over the years. Conservatives always use them as an example of the inefficiencies of socialism. If the workers had more incentive, then they would work harder and provide a better service. The Postal Service has become an important part of society though. People depend on it. This is one government run entity that is no longer needed. The capitalistic system can provide better alternatives and decrease the mutual dependency between the government and its people. In the 1700s, a national postal service might have been necessary, due to lack of modern transportation modes, but it is not necessary today. This will be the 30th Amendment.
In the last decade, the Supreme Court overturned a ban on corporations and unions from funding presidential and congressional elections, citing the 1st Amendment. Frustrating as this ruling might be, elected officials need to come into office without owing favors to those who helped get them elected. The founding fathers might not have foreseen campaigns being financed by special interest groups. Therefore, the 31st Amendment simply makes campaign donations public. Consequently, the people will know if an elected official is voting for a law to please a special interest group. Ideally, this will deter somebody from being overly influenced by a certain group and will be working on behalf of the people and not that group. In this case, the elected government officials will not live at the expense of the big businesses, unions and other groups that currently hold too much influence.
Abolish Bureaucracy
It’s time to get rid of the entitlements, or at least most of them. The list is immense, but lets start with a few for the purpose of this paper. Social security, food stamps, Stafford loans, and job overtime will be eliminated as federal laws. This, of course, is just a start. Frederic Bastiat calls these “false philanthropy”. He argues programs like these are not developed out of genuine charity, but out of selfishness. Well, 160 years after Bastiat, entitlement programs have ballooned and many Americans do not work on their own initiative. They rely on the government, and the government in return relies on them. They make promises to provide for them, and this keeps them in office. It’s a vicious cycle. By eliminating these programs, American self-determination will return and people will realize how the government has lived off their ignorance.
It’s also time to get rid of frivolous government agencies and positions. Overpaid government officials have already had their salaries sliced through the new 28th Amendment, and now it is time to rid the country of those tax-dollar burning positions that are not necessary. Sinecures must go. Since it has been decided that the state legislators will run the schools, the Executive Cabinet will not need a Secretary of Education. This is just one example, but all the governmental agencies need to be cleaned of unnecessary careers within, from the Executive office, to Congressional offices, to USAID, CIA, SEC, National Endowment of Arts, etc. These will greatly reduce our reliance on government, and their reliance on us.
Government’s job is simple. It is to protect liberty and the nation from foreign aggression. That being said, it is time to close down a large majority of American bases overseas. They have overreached their necessities, and are costing the American people billions of dollars. Furthermore, the vast array of bases throughout the world is putting Americans in danger. People in other countries do not want foreign troops on their land, increasing American antipathy. This is not what the founding fathers envisioned. This is another form of big government; another form of bureaucracy.
After all of these cuts that will decrease the size of government, the dependency of Americans upon it, and it upon them, there are some needed entitlements that must be discussed. A few programs will remain, including: Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran Medical Care, Indian Health Services and most importantly the statewide Public School Systems. Why will we keep some of these and not the others? Well, Medicare and Medicaid will remain because of the absolute necessity and importance of health, and older and disabled citizens need to be protected. This is not far-reaching, because remember, Social Security has just been eliminated. Older American citizens will have to save money for their own retirement, but will have the security of health insurance. The Veteran Medical Care will remain to protect those who have served the United States. These people are important for the country and their sacrifices have earned them the protection they deserve, as they grow older. The Indian Health Services will also remain, simply to show respect for those who were displaced from their culture over the last three centuries. American history has its blemishes, and this is one way to make them right. Lastly, Public Education is important to the American society. It must be funded and it must prosper.
Public Education
Public education is socialist, but an essential part of a strong nation. Private schools can still exist, but publicly funded education has become a necessity that cannot be abandoned. Through public education, Americans can thoroughly learn about civics. Today, most children do not know who wrote the Declaration of Independence, or who gave the Gettysburg Address. American schools must do a better job educating young minds about the country they come from. Who are the founding fathers? Why did the colonies declare independence from England? What is the role of government? Who are your senators? This knowledge will give children a better appreciation of their country.
Knowledge of American history and civics will prevent citizens from letting their leaders accrue too much power. They will better understand the free-market system and why it needs to be protected from big government. They will also learn about other failed systems and how their system is unique in the world. Of course, the school system will continue to teach effectively and fairly. It is not a place of indoctrination; students will have their own faculties to make decisions on certain issues. They will just be better versed on founding papers, such as the Declaration of Independence, American Constitution, Articles of Confederation, Federalist Papers, etc. Through this education, students will see why their country is great and why it needs to constantly be protected. Basically, public education will continue as it, but a stronger influence on civics and history will be encouraged.
The only other change to the public education system is the budget. States like New Jersey and California are going bankrupt. These states need to exercise fiscal responsibility, and make necessary cuts in its educational system. Not cuts that will lessen the quality education, but cuts that will cut down on waste.
Conclusion
The solutions suggested in this blog are far reaching, and, if put into practice, they would inevitably be controversial. Furthermore, it would be incredibly difficult for a candidate to get elected, promising to abolish, for example, Social Security. It, like many others, has become a commodity people cannot live without. Some of these changes would have to be done gradually, but some, like cutting the pay of overpaid officials, can take effect immediately.
By seeing the change in the way a limited government operates, its citizen would become aware about how the government uses them. It will decrease their dependency on the government, and consequently, the government’s dependency on them.