Quote:
Originally Posted by Ea
Yes, I think I would like some more examples. Isn't the government supposed to be representative of the people? Would it then not be the people who sanctioned these things you mention?
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OK, some more examples...
From the late 1800's through the 1980's, Sunday closing laws, banning retail stores from being open both days of a weekend.
Involuntary military conscription from 1940 through 1974.
Federal laws limiting the ability to donate money to a candidate since the early 1980's.
No-knock search and seizure, despite explicit banning of it in the constitution. From the 1970's.
Seizure of property in criminal investigations prior to conviction. According to our constitution - No person shall have his life, liberty, or property abridged without due process of law. Pretty clear. But laws have been passed in the 1980's seizing property so the accused can't use it to pay for a legal defense, even while any person charged with a crime is guaranteed a counsel. (Just not a good one...)
Requiring paper trails on economic activity about $10,000 US.
Need more?
Ea, the "people" here are not homogeneous. There are many small groups, each with their own view of how the government should be run. Most of them disagree with each other. There is no clear "majority" on how things should be done on most issues. Logically, one should do nothing in such circumstances, because as you help one group, you hurt another group. Unfortunately, whenever one of these small groups get into power, they then try to legislate their preferences no matter what anyone else thinks. Because of that tendency, people fear and distrust government. We in Texas had a novel way of solving this problem, which still works nicely at state level. We don't let the legislature meet more the 140 days every two years. if they can't meet, they can't pass laws....