tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145730536063171776.post4767521860549743068..comments2019-12-14T00:37:26.827-08:00Comments on Original America: The 17th Amendment and the Balance of Federal PowerCharleston Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858069238507752437noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145730536063171776.post-83819513822850585032009-09-18T11:26:58.705-07:002009-09-18T11:26:58.705-07:00I don't think that anything is going to change...I don't think that anything is going to change in the government. The reason for that is by the time they take office even for something as simple as governor, they have forgotten what it is to be normal and worry about the things that matter most in life. Come on do you think that the president is worried about are we going to have enough money to pay the bills this month, or am I going to have to cut the grocery budget back so we can have lights. NO he is not, is the governor of the state worried about that nope they have a pay check that weather it can be afforded or not they get paid. And those of us out here in the real world where we have to wonder if we are going to get anything after they take the taxes out of our pay check or if our kids are going to eat tonight, or how to keep the utilities on we simply don't matter unless it is an election year, then we are to listen to all the lip service and still never get any thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145730536063171776.post-82752103769716312082009-07-16T12:28:57.376-07:002009-07-16T12:28:57.376-07:00That's exactly the result I hope to incite. Wh...That's exactly the result I hope to incite. While I still think the reality of repealing the 17th Amendment would do some good (no idea how much) because of the legitimate issue of balance, I think all the implications of getting that accomplished are where the real impact will occur. If a movement of this sort gets any traction those involved would be reintroduced to many aspects of the American government that are just not taught to the general public any more. Our history is strikingly different from our present and seeing the difference could be so starling that people might actually learn something. But turning that enlightenment into real action is the trick.Charleston Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10858069238507752437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145730536063171776.post-20908154676061898232009-07-16T12:11:35.046-07:002009-07-16T12:11:35.046-07:00At the time of the framing, the citizenry did not ...At the time of the framing, the citizenry did not identify itself with the federal government. Because travel and communication were so slow and difficult, people were much more local minded and identified themselves as citizens of individual states, rather than as U.S. citizens. In all likelihood, people died where they were born and never ventured very far in between. The exception was, of course, those who "moved out west," but for even them, once they arrived, they "settled" in that area and didn't move around much.<br /><br />Now, with the internet, TV, jet airplanes, cars, fax machines, etc. people are much quicker to relocate several times over their lifetime, families are often spread out, and people get their information, not from local newspapers, but from national conglomerates, like Disney Corp. and NewsCorp. So, to the extent that we think of ourselves as part of a larger group at all (which I think we pretty much don't do), its more of a national identity than a state identity.<br /><br />I can't tell you the number of times I've explained Alabama's laws and had people look at me with incredulity and disgust and say, "Why isn't the law the same in every state? We're one nation under God, ain't we?"<br /><br />So, until federalism is understood and respected conceptually, I think that repealing the 17th amendment would be about as useful as trying to fill a bucket of water by spitting on the ground. In other words, not useful at all. However, the political debate that would have to happen before such a repeal took place might do some good. <br /><br />So, my bottom line is that I don't think that the 17th amendment, itself, is that big a deal. But, I do think we need to re-learn the value of federalism. It isn't just a political relic left over from pre-civil war times, as many perceive. If that re-learning can happen via a discussion about the value of the 17th amendment, fine.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659999952920837573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145730536063171776.post-61502379317255294372009-07-16T11:03:57.331-07:002009-07-16T11:03:57.331-07:00I don't know if the states are an intermediary...I don't know if the states are an intermediary between the people and the federal govm't. But I do think the balance between the states/people/fed is an intermediary dimension between the two more obvious dimension of this balance of power. The distinctions I'm trying to make are these:<br /><br />* source of rights (not government)<br />* balance between states, the people, and the fed<br />* balance of the fed itself (three branches of govm't)Charleston Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10858069238507752437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145730536063171776.post-91222313087294359172009-07-16T09:46:01.212-07:002009-07-16T09:46:01.212-07:00I've never thought of each state of the union ...I've never thought of each state of the union as being an intermediary between the U.S. Federal Government and will of the people.<br /><br />State's rights have been diminishing since the Civil War. I argue that the Civil War did more to damage to both state's and people's rights than the 17th Amendment. The 17th Amendment just put it in writing.<br /><br />In other words the bomb was built in the Civil War, loaded on the bomber with the 17th Amendment, and now it has finally been loosed.<br /><br />(The Civil War wasn't a true civil war. Civil wars are fought when factions struggle for control of a central government. The south wanted nothing to do with Washington. Washington said we own you. It should be called the Second Revolutionary War or the War of the States.)funbunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06232534140652528476noreply@blogger.com