ARTICLE V AND THE FUTURE OF
THE UNITED STATES.
Just how stable is the US? Is
the concept of the US falling apart, like the Soviet Union, really that
unbelievable? Is the division inside the US really that “healthy” for the
nation? Just how wide can the division become before the word “Healthy” becomes
the word, “Dangerous”? Is the US already there, and if so, how does anyone
really make the assessment? Finally, if the word “dangerous” is reality, what
was the true cause of the crisis and how can it be stopped? I think my opinion
is one that is shared by more people in the US than anyone may think, so, here
it goes.
The Political “System”:
Power. What is the ultimate goal of any form of
governance? Power! To right the wrongs or create the future as one party or
individual sees it, but the bottom line of that drive is power. The second goal
is to keep that power. A concept that has not changed in thousands of years.
Get in power and stay in power. Stay in power and keep those who may change
that reality from gaining power. So, get there and then do whatever it takes to
stay there and if anyone above you appears to gain more power than you and your
group, then take measures to make sure their power is neutralized and or
limited, thus the US 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution.
Decades:
Yes, I know the argument here, usually by those who are
in power, is going to be, “well, the people can just vote them out if they want
to”. Really? Why didn’t that argument hold true before the 22nd
Amendment was passed? Secondly, have you ever heard of a “safe” district” or
state? If you want to see the apex of lust for power, just look at the lengths
of terms inside the US Congress and even the Senate. Some Congress-people…can’t
say men…that’s not being gender neutral….. have been in “power” for decades!
Some spend less money on reelection cost than they do their pets. Look, I could
go on and on, but I know everyone gets my point. The US political system has
changed. It has become disconnected with the “people”. One party has a
percentage of the population dependent upon the entitlements from DC and the
other is controlled by those who need the rest of the budget spent on their corporate
needs. Yes, my opinion is the US is dangerously close to the breaking point and
I am convinced there is only one surgery that can save the patient.
Article V / State Convention:
Yes, the federal government has the
authority to call for the convention and time and time again, I hear the
statement, “yes…..but they would never do it, especially if the topic is Term
Limits”. Look, we have passed the point
of being a stable nation based upon our “balanced” populace. That theory of
security from crisis no longer applies. Just imagine if 2/3rd of the
States called for a Article V Convention and the federal government said, “no”.
If you think the US cannot quickly slide into a true crisis at that point, then
you will be caught up in the group that is totally unprepared.
The Founding Fathers, the ones that have been under
attack by one party in the US for over two decades now, feared exactly what the
US has turned into, a nation run by professional politicians. People who see
being in power as a lifelong journey and one they can benefit from to the
maximum extent possible. Look. I’m not going to argue the pros and cons of the
US having a state driven convention. That’s been going on for several years
now, but the topic has been a balanced budget, and not term limits. Let me give
you my two cents worth on what really needs to happen, and I’ll even give you a
shell of what the articles should state.
Limits:
Any federally elected official gets two, four-year
terms for a total of eight years. Total! Sound familiar?
Retirement:
No elected official is entitled to any level of federal “retirement’
period. If they put their salary in a
investment fund, so be it.
Medical Insurance:
Every elected official is provided the
same healthcare as any other federal employee. Please don’t feed me that BS
they have that now. Do better research than that before you speak.
Lobbyist:
No elected official can ever return to DC
as a lobbyist or working indirectly for a lobbying firm. After the possible eight
years, any contact they have with anyone in the government or lobbying the
government is a matter of public records, posted annually and all of this under
penalty of law.
Time:
All elected officials will spend no less
than ten months of each year in office inside the territory they were elected by.
This is the 21st century, living in DC and visiting the people who
sent them there is no longer acceptable. They are accountable to the people in their
districts and no one else.
Quarters and Staff:
ALL elected officials will be provided living quarters to
include room for their families. Their staff will be provided based upon their
knowledge of the legislative process. If it’s good enough for the members the
US military, then it’s good enough for the elected officials.
Now, I could go on and on
about this whole topic of an Article V convention, but I will leave you with
this last warning. As the US sits and bickers at a level of exposure unlike at
any other point it time, as the rest of the world, especially our enemies,
watches the soap opera taking place in DC, are they saying to themselves, “ is
now the time? Can this nation we have feared for so long truly stand tall in a
real crisis? Are they a house of cards about to fall and can we make it happen? If you don’t believe my last statement, then
go back to watching Dancing with the Stars or the NFL, but don’t blame anyone
but the person you see in the mirror if it all goes bad.
By the way, enact some version
of the articles I’ve posted above and let’s see what kind of people run for
office. Let’s see who goes to DC because they love their nation and let’s see
who panics at the very rumor of a convention for term limits.
