lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

In today's ultra polarized political climate, all we hear from are the left and right wings. I have asked this question many times over the years - left or right of what? The common answer is; left or right of center. All right, let's assume that this is the correct answer...............where is the center?

The common explanation of exactly what or where the center is located, is "somewhere between the two wings". That sounds logical...................but it's wrong. If that explanation were true, then the center has wandered, and is wandering, all over the place. Despite the efforts of both wings to d**g the center over to their side of things, as though it were a game of tug-of-war, the center doesn't move....................as it is anchored securely by the United States Constitution.

Where we have gone wrong, and are going wrong, is that we determine the wings FIRST, disregarding the center entirely. Rather than starting with what the Constitution says ( every single word and sentence, not snippets ), we start with what we want ( or don't want )..................and try to force the Constitution to comply. When we disagree with what the Constitution says, we either try to change it, reword it to support our desires, or we ignore it entirely. Many people even delude themselves into believing that what they think, originated with the Constitution, without knowing what the Constitution actually says.

Human nature makes us want to be right about everything, and we'll fight to the death defending our "beliefs", many times, without ever being able to explain why, or where, those beliefs originated. There are two core documents that should NEVER be paraphrased, re-interpreted, re-worded, or cherry picked - and those two documents are the Bible and the US Constitution. Modifying those words in our heads to make them say what we WANT them to say, or worse, acting on those selfish modifications, is just plain wrong -and deadly - both in this life AND the next.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Spot on, outstanding post, Doc

Wonttakeitanymore

Good point!

archie bunker Loc: Texas

"Shall not be infringed."

Wonttakeitanymore

There is a time in life when we need to determine where our center is!

debeda

GREAT post and AGREED

Seth

Airforceone

Interesting and well thought out topic. But on OPP most people have there opinions. And I believe everybody is entitled to there own opinion but they are not entitled to there own facts. The problem we are having on OPP is someone post there opinion without facts but when actual facts are posted the insults come flying out.

This country has been divided and it will take many years to even get close to the center. We will never even get close to the center until people stay dealing with facts, I ãt one time dealt with insults and I insulted back and I refuse to respond to insults.

We all have our perceptions but perception is not reality. I will be following this string just see how people respond. Again thank you for a well thought out topic and maybe it just might get this country back to the middle. Because all this country is doing with far right extremism and far left extremism is dividing this country even more.

This country needs a leader that can pull this country back to the middle because the middle always works.

Common_Sense_Matters

Very fine topic, well done.

Rose42

Great post.

elledee

right on right on right on

Wolf counselor Loc: Heart of Texas

Sorry Goober, but the center is reserved for fence straddlers.

And you can't claim to be a centrist when you're in lockstep with the left.

Those of us who have chosen, whether it be left or right, have drawn a clear line in the Sand.

You either want to secure the border or you don't.

You either want lower taxes and less regulations or you don't.

You either want lower unemployment or you don't.

You either want to k**l babies or you don't.

There's only middle ground for procrastinators and r****ds.

MarvinSussman

FIRST THINGS FOR THE GREEN ECONOMY

Our Constitution’s Preamble states the purpose of our federal government: justice, tranquility, defense, general welfare, and the “Blessings of Liberty” that we must provide for Posterity. Each of these goals implies the creation of institutions of considerable magnitude. Justice and tranquility require first responders, hospitals, courts, and prisons. Defense implies forces with unlimited needs that must be provided by the nation’s industry, which implies a system of education and healthcare. General welfare and “Blessings” imply an open-ended list of things. We can put all of the above under the heading of “infrastructure”. Given that we are surrounded by hostile forces seeking to dominate us, our need for infrastructure is unlimited.

To provide for those infinite needs, Congress must plan for the world’s best infrastructure. Then it must create that infrastructure by spending wh**ever is needed, buying required resources at the fastest rate possible without harming with the well-being of the private sector. In practice, this means spending as much as possible without causing inflation. Ideally, our economy should be operating steadily at the onset of harmful inflation. In practice, the economy’s money supply and output fluctuate so that the best spending practice would be to aim at that ideal.

Thus, the need to combat inflation is a primary concern. With maximum spending there must be maximum taxation to remove excess discretionary income and wealth from the economy. With a liberal economy and relatively free trade, the distribution of income and wealth in the population will be top heavy. For efficient taxation of discretionary income, such a distribution requires steeply progressive federal income and estate tax brackets with no taxation of non-discretionary income and wealth. Because of the “tax-bracket creep” that occurs with rising incomes during economic expansions, steeply progressive tax brackets also have the virtue of increasing (decreasing) the ratio of tax revenue to total spending during economic expansions (contractions), thus smoothing the fluctuation of the economy’s money supply and output.

Spending on infrastructure must be matched by spending on people. Until our munitions industry and armed forces are completely robotic, wars will be waged by people in the line of fire and those behind it. And they will be waged more successfully when the people are well-educated and healthy. Accordingly, there is no rational reason to require individuals to pay for their education or for maintaining their health. There is every rational reason to provide expense-paid education for all at all levels of learning. Likewise, there should be free healthcare for all, including free nurseries, day-care, and pre-K for parents with such a need.

To fulfill the aims stated in the Preamble to our Constitution, the physical structures and personnel required for these services have a cost that Congress must bear. In effect, Congress should pay the people to provide the nation’s infrastructure and to provide both the best-educated and healthiest workforce and the world’s best military force. No other course can achieve the goals set for us by our Founders.

© 2019 Marvin Sussman. All rights reserved. Search: YouTube.com for Marvin Sussman!

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Excellent points...

I think most would agree with this opinion...

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

This is a most excellent post...

I hope you don't mind that I sent a copy to a friend...

I credited it to Ipnmajor on the OPP...