Reply #25: The one thing the Founders didn't seem to take into account... [View All]

[Occulus]

...was the possibility that people would be elected, in large numbers, who actively wish to destroy the government they are working for.

There aren't ANY mechanisms in our Constitution to effectively and adequately deal with the problems we now face in ALL THREE branches of our government. It's the same problem in each case. We have elected officials "serving" the public, who don't want to serve, and actually want to make their service either a detriment to the country or a means to the end of their own wealth and the wealth of their friends.

If anyone here is aware of any letters or essays written by our Founders that indicate they had ideas about what should be done in such a case, well, I'd like to read those. However, our Constitution, for all that it is the model of stable government, does not address what is to happen when those running the system become the single greatest threat to the system.

That's where this idea of term limiting the SCOTUS comes from; I'm thinking maybe we need something a lot more fundamental in place- perhaps something as drastic as revoking the Constitutional rights of those who do serve in office for the whole of their term in office.

No more taking money. No more even winking and nodding at lobbyists. No television, print, or radio appearances- NOTHING that could even start to cause one set of constituents to become violently enraged at another set of constituents.

Perhaps members of our government should have no power whatever to speak against the People. We should treat them as we would those in our military who publicly speak out against their commanders while engaged on a mission.

Another thing we need to address is corporate personhood. That needs to be definitively revoked. It is possible many of the problems we have in this country would be put in a position to be dealt with if we did that.

In any case, it is clear that what once worked for our country regarding our system of government does not work adequately any longer. We need to amend our Constitution so it can deal with threat to itself quickly and decisively. I have no idea how that might be done, or even if it can be done (call a Constitutional Convention?).

I think our Founders would be appalled at the cronyism, backscratching, money, corruption (on both sides of the aisle), and so on. I think they would see the system as failed in many, many ways. We need to do something to Congress, and the Executive, to bring them back into line.

I don't know that term-limiting the SCOTUS is a good idea, but there's a very obvious need for a solution that addresses the Peoples' loss of control over their government. If we, the People, are no longer in charge, then maybe it is time to take drastic and extreme action regarding our Constitution.