Why Government Doesn't Work

Subject: Why Government Doesn't Work Sun Dec 26, 2010 3:05 am

By Harry Browne

Quote :: Review:

I read this book back in 1996, when Harry Browne was using it as his campaign book when he was running for U.S. President as a candidate of the Libertarian Party. Browne talks about the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, and about what are and are not legitimate functions of the federal government. This book should be a real eye opener for most Americans, who really have no idea that throughout most of our country's history, the federal government was much smaller than it is today. The founding fathers never wanted the federal government to "take care" of people, or to "protect" them from their own mistakes. During most of this country's history, there was no social security, medicare, medicaid, welfare, food stamps, public housing, or any other federal program designed to "help" the poor; nor was there any federal involvement in education; nor were there any laws which outlawed any kind of drug. And during this time, the U.S. became the richest, most prosperous country that the world had ever known. Before drugs were outlawed, there was no gang or mob activity or violence associated with the buying and selling of drugs. During this time, the federal government stuck to only those things which were authorized in the Constitution. Oh, and there was no income tax, either. We didn't need an icnome tax, because the excise taxes and tariffs gave the federal govenment enough money to perform all of its legitimate, Constitutionally authorized activities.

Contrast this to how things are today. Today, the primary activity of the federal government consists of taking money from people who earned it, and giving the money to people to whom it does not belong. In addition, the massive growth of the federal government has created the insane war on drugs, which is a major threat to our freedom. Before the federal government got involved in education, there was no "education crises." Before the federal government got involved in health care, there was no "health care crises." Browne wants to restore the federal government to its Constitutionally authorized size.

Article 1, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution lists all of the powers of the federal government. The 10th amendment says that the federal government is only allowed to do those things which are mentioned in the Constitution. There is noting in the Constitution giving the federal government the power to spend money on social security, medicare, medicade, public housing, welfare, food stamps, farm subsidies, or corporate welfare; nor is there anything in the Constitution giving the federal govenment the power to outlaw any drugs.

This book is a great intrroduction to the ideas of the Libertarian Party.

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