Ezra Taft Benson said what he considers a test to judge what the Government should do and not do besides what is explicitly stated in the Constitution of the United States of America:
"There is one simple test. Do I as an individual have a right to use force upon my neighbor to accomplish this goal? If I do have such a right, then I may delegate that power to my government to exercise on my behalf. If I do not have that right as an individual, then I cannot delegate it to government, and I cannot ask my government to perform the act for me."
(The Proper Role of Government, Ezra Taft Benson, The Eisenhower Administration - ed. Published in 1968, http://www.latterdayconservative.com/articles/ezra-taft-benson/the-proper-role-of-government)
How does this test apply to different functions of Government, those that they should do and not do?
Recently salt is to be regulated to force companies producing food to reduce salt usage. I cannot force a restaurant or a company to put less salt in. I can choose not to participate. Welfare as the Government does it is theft, not charity. It is forcing a group to help others. This is not emergency relief that comes from a natural disaster. It is creating dependence on the the dole, the opposite of what it claims to try to do.
I am trying to know what the government should do besides enforce the law, establish and maintain a judicial system, provide for the military, and establish a currency system. Can someone help me?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I believe there are certain rights that a government should guarantee - remarkably similar to what is found in D&C 134 (I believe that's the one. It's about government). Rule of law is important, and it should be used to protect freedom of conscience, expression, and property. Interestingly, people tend to forget the third, and the first two are actually being used in some circles as arguments against themselves - notably atheists and gays attempting to assert their "freedom of expression" as trumping the freedom of those who disagree with them.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great comment. I think they should protect our rights. They do this selectively and incorrectly as you have pointed out. The exercise of someone else's rights should not take away my rights.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what rights there are that I give to the government to do that I did not mention previously.
I do recall now the right to contract mentioned in the 5000 Year Leap, by W. Cleon Skousen, which government should enforce, though it is not mentioned specifically in the Constitution. That doesn't seem to mean much today. The Marriage contract been changed from the definition accepted by society. The mortgage of many people and lending agencies are being modified by the government without consent of both parties involved.
The gradual (and sometimes not so gradual) trend towards socialism in this country has unfortunately blinded people to the fact that we are losing our freedom. Whether it's something significant like government-run health care being passed, or something relatively minor like government-mandated salt reductions, both are examples from a long list that shows that our freedoms are being taken away by the progressives in Washington.
ReplyDeleteI hope that more Americans can wake up and no longer take for granted the freedoms that our Founding Fathers and many others have sacrificed for. There are many more conservative-minded people out there who need to pay attention to what is going on and let their voice be heard.
Paul, it's good to see you standing up for what you believe in. It motivates me to be more active in standing up for true Conservative principles amongst the people I associate with.