By: Mike Maharrey
When it comes to power, you should treat the feds like your ex-spouse.
I did a radio interview recently on Loving Liberty with Bryan Hyde. It was a back to Tenther Basics kind of discussion. You can listen HERE.
We talked about constitutional originalism, decentralized government, the principles of nullification, James Madison’s blueprint for dealing with federal overreach and the anti-commandeering doctrine. I really enjoyed kind of getting back to my roots.
In the course of our conversation, Bryan asked me an interesting question: why do I think so many people only worry about constitutional issues when their party is out of power?
The answer is pretty simple. Most people are more wrapped up in party, policies and personalities than they are in principles. So, when their guy or gal is in power, they don’t worry about things like limited government or constitutional restraints. They enjoy the fact that their guy can get stuff done and implement policies they like.
There’s a huge problem with this approach to politics.
Your guy or gal isn’t going to be in charge forever. At some point, the bad guys and gals are going to win an election. And when that happens, every little bit of power you let your guy have will be in their hands.
A friend of mine said something once that was pretty funny and really wise.
Don’t ever give a politician any power you wouldn’t want your ex-spouse to have.
The problem isn’t who’s in charge. The problem is that the power exists to begin with. Never forget, every power you give government will eventually be in the hands of people you don’t like.
Tags: Power
Michael Maharrey [send him email] is the Communications Director for the Tenth Amendment Center. He proudly resides in the original home of the Principles of ’98 – Kentucky. See his blog archive here and his article archive here. He is the author of the book, Our Last Hope: Rediscovering the Lost Path to Liberty. You can visit his personal website at MichaelMaharrey.com and like him on Facebook HERE