The Case for Limited Government

The best case for limited government is in the US Constitution (as written), the Declaration of Independence and in US History from 1600 to 1865. You will see how “self-government” needs to operate in a capitalist free market economy.

As a British colony from 1600 to 1789, voters were property owners and elected representatives to State Colonial governments. These citizen-politicians made sure that their governments did things to benefit property owners. They were located far from England and enjoyed the freedom of that proximity.  When they formed the United States, they codified the good treatment. They were self-reliant farmers with good neighbors. Our politicians were typically well-to-do plantation owners, merchants and professionals.

The Middle Class in the 1800s included farmers who worked their own farms and enlisted their families to help.  They had a community spirit and helped each other build homes, barns, fences and other structures. It also included local merchants, mill operators, tradesmen,  like blacksmiths, cottage manufacturers, tanners, barbers, transporters, carpenters, masons and contractors. Most professionals were included in the middle class.

The Laborers were those who hired to be helpers and worked on farms as needed and served as itinerant labor in construction projects. Some became apprentices to tradesmen and worked to learn their trade.  Many were immigrants who started as laborers. Some were indentured servants working off their loans. Many were slaves until 1865.

In the 1800s, the US tripled in size and expanded to 3.8 million square miles having won the War of 1812, bought the Louisiana Purchase Territory for $15 million and won the Mexican War in 1848.

The population of the US grew from 5.3 million living on 865,000 square miles of land in 1800 to 76.2 million living on 3.8 million square miles of land in 1900. Most of the land was available for purchase by private owners. Many family farms were started with land grants by the US government.

Also in the 1800s, the US entered the Industrial Revolution and applied steam engines to create railroad engines and manufacturing companies employing steam engines. We harnessed water power to provide electricity. We developed automobiles and airplanes. We built railroads to connect the country. We were poised to introduce the telephone, the radio and motion pictures. We did all of this with a free market economy that controlled prices using the law of supply and demand.  Prices would fluctuate based on supply and demand and businesses had to be careful not to run out of cash.

In 1872, we violated the US Constitution to allow the establishment of National Parks without filing an Amendment to be ratified by the States. Now the federal government owns 30% of the US land mass.

In 1913, we violated the US Constitution to establish the Income Tax and the Federal Reserve Bank without filing Amendments to be ratified by the States. The US dollar in 1913 is now worth 2 cents.

In 1935, we violated the US Constitution to establish Social Security without filing an Amendment to be ratified by the States. This is a Ponzi scheme and is unsustainable.

In 1964, we violated the US Constitution to establish Medicare, Medicaid and Welfare and passed the Civil Rights Act without filing Amendments to be ratified by the States. US healthcare is unaffordable and is unsustainable.

In 2009, we violated the US Constitution to establish Obamacare without filing an Amendment to be ratified by the States. Hopefully, Obamacare will die on 2019.

Now we have a $20 trillion National Debt and a $4 trillion per year federal budget. In 1900, federal spending was about $500 million a year and the cost of bread was 2 cents per loaf.

We need to exhume the bodies of everyone who served in Congress since 1872 and shoot them.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader