Thanks Obama for the credit card interest rate hike.

[Non Sequor]

TheRealMafoo said:

Non Sequor said:

Duly noted. But other people may feel differently. Different people have different ideas about how government should behave.

The question is, will this law create good or bad incentives? So far we've seen at least one bad one, but there may be good ones yet to reveal themselves.

You've got to give them the time it takes to figure out if they've screwed it up better or screwed it up worse. The democrats have won four years in the sand box so let's give them some time to see if they can build anything that will stay up. Let the people get what they asked for and we'll see if they like it when they do.

The only things that should be completely out of consideration are ideas which cannot be justified without using the phrase "the ends justify the means." That's when you know someone is going to do something monstrous and horrible.

 

To the bold:

This is why we have the constitution. To protect us from this. When we put people in office, and give them the authority to tell us what's best for us, of pass laws to shape our lives in the direction they want us to live, we lose our liberties.

As for the "ends justifies the means", 85% of the country thought so when we went to war in Iraq. Does that make it right?

It's not a question of giving them time to figure out if it's better or worse, it's about should they even have the authority to play a role. Yes, there will be positive outcomes for many.

What you lose, is a little more liberty... we lose a little more with every law that passes. Once lost, you can never get it back. A few more quote from the greatest American who ever lived:

 

Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people. - John Adams

There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty. - John Adams

But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever. - John Adams

 

Every child who leaves school, should know who this man was, and what he meant to the United States. I would be shocked in 20% of americans know much about him.

 

The strength of the Constitution comes from the fact that it represented a set of compromises between competing concerns. It lays out the basic structure of our government, but it doesn't dictate the compromises that need to be made now.

Everyone interprets the Constitution in a way that supports their beliefs. That's because the Constitution does not dictate the course of action for government, only it's basic structure and ideals. Elements of it support both sides of debates because elements of both sides of debates went into it.

With all due respect to John Adams, his statement that freedom can never be restored is plainly false. Prohibition was repealed. The Sedition Act which he signed and which is generally regarded as blatantly unconstitutional was allowed to expire.

It's easy to say "Look! Constitution! Listen to me!" and think that people should be obligated to agree with you but it's never been that easy. People have different ideas about how it should be interpreted.

Basically it comes down to the fact that you can't tell people how to feel. That's part of democracy.

Call people on their bullshit, but don't expect them to be obligated to listen to you. If people want something that's stupid, they'll find out in time.