Reading the Constitution 'a waste of time' for Congress says scholar Dr. Kevin Gutzman

[Matt Collins]

SOURCE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/29/AR2010122901402.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics




But the question being debated in legal and political circles off Capitol Hill is whether the constitutional rules are simply symbolic flourishes to satisfy an emboldened and watchful tea party base.



"I think it's entirely cosmetic," said Kevin Gutzman, a history professor at Western Connecticut State University who said he is a conservative libertarian (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/politicsglossary/party-affiliated/Libertarian-Party/) and sympathizes with the tea party.



"This is the way the establishment handles grass-roots movements," he added. "They humor people who are not expert or not fully cognizant. And then once they've humored them and those people go away, it's right back to business as usual. It looks like this will be business as usual - except for the half-hour or however long it takes to read the Constitution out loud."

[akforme]

I would agree with that. It's not the reading that's important it's the following. Reminds of this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7uvttu8ct0

[wormyguy]

I don't care if they read it or use it as toilet paper - I just want them to start following it.

[Sola_Fide]

These Republicans think we are stupid. They might be right. But if they are wrong, they are going to pay heavily.

[Anti Federalist]

The thread title is slightly misleading, I was expecting something completely different.

Gutzman is right.

[TNforPaul45]

"This is the way the establishment handles grass-roots movements," he added. "They humor people who are not expert or not fully cognizant. And then once they've humored them and those people go away, it's right back to business as usual. It looks like this will be business as usual - except for the half-hour or however long it takes to read the Constitution out loud.


If I had had 700 pages and all the time I wanted, I could not have said it better myself.

The establishment saw the people waking up with anger in their eyes.
To maintain their power, they devised a plan to start throwing out liberty-related key words.
They shepherded the sheep out of the pen, told them there's a different way, a new way, and moved them into a new pen.
Someone who is in the process of waking up is not fully cognizant, and how can you be an expert if the talking heads on tv and radio all keep you at a superficial level, but make you believe you are touching on the "deep" and "underlying" issues.
Now that they have maintained their power, the establishment will begin moving them back to symbolic support only.
"Our new tea party members are under attack by evil liberals. We have (R) in front of our names, they have (D). . .
. . .Support the foreign wars, support the spending, do everything we tell you. . .
. . .go back to sleep, all is well, the New(read: Old) masters are in charge now."
And the blonde bombshells on Fox News that you want to have sex with smile, nod, wink, cock their head to the side, knowing they have you in their gaze. The rich, powerful Limbaughs and the sucessful, but "well meaning" Beck's, both of whom you want to imitate because you know they are rich and powerful, tell you that you have done well, now we'll take the fight on. And you just listen and obey.

They call for a renewed cling to the Constitution, then deny the existence and influence of a man who is the de facto Champion of the Constitution. They do this using the same trick that progressives have used. By saying that their current policies are the ones that the Founding Fathers supported. Now the republicans will say that (and have said that) everything they want done is what the Founding Fathers wanted done.

I'm just so sick of all of this. The whole sad game.

[amy31416]

If I had had 700 pages and all the time I wanted, I could not have said it better myself.

The establishment saw the people waking up with anger in their eyes.
To maintain their power, they devised a plan to start throwing out liberty-related key words.
They shepherded the sheep out of the pen, told them there's a different way, a new way, and moved them into a new pen.
Someone who is in the process of waking up is not fully cognizant, and how can you be an expert if the talking heads on tv and radio all keep you at a superficial level, but make you believe you are touching on the "deep" and "underlying" issues.
Now that they have maintained their power, the establishment will begin moving them back to symbolic support only.
"Our new tea party members are under attack by evil liberals. We have (R) in front of our names, they have (D). . .
. . .Support the foreign wars, support the spending, do everything we tell you. . .
. . .go back to sleep, all is well, the New(read: Old) masters are in charge now."
And the blonde bombshells on Fox News that you want to have sex with smile, nod, wink, cock their head to the side, knowing they have you in their gaze. The rich, powerful Limbaughs and the sucessful, but "well meaning" Beck's, both of whom you want to imitate because you know they are rich and powerful, tell you that you have done well, now we'll take the fight on. And you just listen and obey.

They call for a renewed cling to the Constitution, then deny the existence and influence of a man who is the de facto Champion of the Constitution. They do this using the same trick that progressives have used. By saying that their current policies are the ones that the Founding Fathers supported. Now the republicans will say that (and have said that) everything they want done is what the Founding Fathers wanted done.

I'm just so sick of all of this. The whole sad game.

+rep

Well-said. And there are way too many here who continually argue for more gov't intervention for their own pet causes--whether that's overturning Roe v Wade, expanding the FDA, etc.

It is a sad game, where we all lose, and our fellow citizens participate and cheerlead it--because it's "for our own good." If it was just the politicians, then we'd be in really good shape.

[Brett85]

+rep

Well-said. And there are way too many here who continually argue for more gov't intervention for their own pet causes--whether that's overturning Roe v Wade, expanding the FDA, etc.

It is a sad game, where we all lose, and our fellow citizens participate and cheerlead it--because it's "for our own good." If it was just the politicians, then we'd be in really good shape.

Roe v. Wade is government intervention that takes power away from the states. Even if you're pro choice on this issue, you should at least believe that the states should have the right to make their own laws concerning this issue.

[MaxPower]

+rep

Well-said. And there are way too many here who continually argue for more gov't intervention for their own pet causes--whether that's overturning Roe v Wade, expanding the FDA, etc.

It is a sad game, where we all lose, and our fellow citizens participate and cheerlead it--because it's "for our own good." If it was just the politicians, then we'd be in really good shape.
Roe vs. Wade is itself an assumption of unconstitutional authority by the Supreme Court. Ron Paul himself wants to overturn it, as do Rand Paul and nearly all of the major figures in our liberty movement.

[fj45lvr]

kind of reminds me of some folks I know that supposedly read the Bible.....

[Legend1104]

Yeah I agree. At least we can see that if they are pushed hard enough they will move in our direction. I try to look at this as a glass half full situation. At least we see evidence that they can be moved with enough push. I guess we just need to keep pushing.