This video illustrates an important point to remember when discussing politics: is the government allowed to do it?
In the mainstream media and in every major campaign outlet, it is assumed that the government can do anything it pleases, provided that the majority of people have voted on it, either directly or indirectly via representation. This is prevalent among both parties, just that both have different ways of saying it.
For Republicans, as an example, they believe that the Federal government has unlimited authority when it comes to war-making powers. More specifically, they believe that the President is allowed to make all the wars he wants, so long as Congress approves it within 90 days. Of course, they argue that this is perfectly constitutional, never-mind that they probably could not cite the article or section in the Constitution that grants these powers.
The Democrats, as an example, tend to argue that the government can do whatever it pleases with regards to economic matters. They might cite constitutional precedent, but they have, by and large, not done much of this as of late (Republicans have not either). The fact is, they feel that the government is allowed to set wages, force us to buy products we might otherwise not buy, and generally control commerce. Never mind that the whole lot of them (and by them I mean Republicans too in this case) are nothing but a bunch of failures in their own lives.
It is astounding that nobody in the mainstream media even bothers to say that the Federal government has specific limits and that no majority of vote can overturn it. Instead of regarding the Constitution as a document that sets boundaries for the government, we are instead told that I merely defines the structure of our government and that’s about it.
It is sad that the majority of voters believe in the latter while neglecting the former implication of this basic concept. And then they hoot and holler when a freedom is taken away by the very same people they voted into office.
Of course, the Constitution is only as good as the people sworn to uphold it. I’m not impressed with my options.