That pesky Constitution

Unless the Almighty Himself intercedes - the Democrat's version of Health Care Reform will pass sometime in the next few days. I can only hope the Deity isn't busy doing something else important in the Universe, because we really need him on this one. This bill isn't about Health care. It's about power. It's about extending federal control into yet another place it has no business. It's about laying the groundwork for phase 2 of the Obama Socialist agenda. There, I said it. Is he a Socialist? Well, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck... Using his own words, this is only the "beginning", with the ultimate goal of single payer health care administered by the feds. Say goodbye to private health care. Say goodbye to true choice & competition. And say hello to "Sir, may I please have that operation?" With half a trillion dollars being cut in Medicare and billions in new taxes on individuals and employers, this bill will be among the largest ever enacted in American, possibly world history. More than 50% of our federal budget is entitlement programs and nearly every one is hemorrhaging money being funded on the backs of future generations and IOUs. Medicare and Social Security lead the way. True "choice and competition" could have been achieved by allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines. Yet the Democrats never considered that. Why? Wouldn't competition from companies in 49 other states be very competitive and keep costs contained if not lowered? Common sense tell us "yes". So what does that tell you? No. Only the federal government led by Democrats knows what's best for us and can provide.
I am reminded of the words of George Washington - "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence - it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master". Thomas Jefferson understood that power could be manipulated. He said that in questions of power, men could not be trusted and should be " Bound down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution". I am afraid of incremental interference from elected officials acting on our behalf. In Chicago for example, political leaders are considering, in effect, abolishing the second amendment - the right to keep and bear arms. Because of an upswing in gun violence there, they want to ban ownership of firearms by private citizens. (Never mind that criminals usually don't obey laws anyway, hence they are "Criminals".) But more disturbing is this - if Chicago believes they have the right over the Federal Constitution to reject the second amendment, what other amendments do they believe they can ignore or abolish? The freedom speech? The right to a speedy trial? The right against self incrimination? Sound ridiculous? It might be if it weren't be discussed by legitimately elected officials with power.
Soon, the Democratic controlled congress will use a series of little known and seldom used rules to shove a massive sea change piece of legislation down our throats. Trillions of dollars from now they will tell us that it was in our best interest. But it wont stop there. Similar tactics will be utilized to enact changes in an Immigration bill, allowing millions of illegal aliens to stay in America and become enrolled in Obamacare. The dependency on "government" will grow. At some point there will be no stopping it and we will become a Western European style socialist democracy. The State will be come our new God and father. And we can then look longingly back at the words of James Madison - "I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpation - this danger ought to be wisely guarded against."