That's where you lost me. Why is it so many beliefs entertained by the Right are abject nutbaggery?
It is not complicated, and it is taught in every HS Civics class in the land. The "powers" of Congress [to spend money] are laid out in Article I, and specifically in Section 8 thereof. Depending on how you count them, there are about 17 separate "powers," and it is conspicuous that NONE of them benefits any individual. They can raise an army and a navy, create a patents and copyrights office, create and fund a post office, and so on. NONE of them benefit any individual (healthcare, housing, food, etc.).
The Tenth Amendment states that the powers of the Federal government are set forth specifically in the Constitution, but ALL OTHER POWERS are reserved to the States and to the people (the private sector?). So all the B.S. spending that occupies Congress' time - housing, education, SNAP benefits, healthcare - is unconstitutional: outside the scope of Congress' power to spend money.
Leftists like to examine Article I and find some plenary spending power, and they latch on to two words: "general welfare." They say that Congress can spend money any way it wants, if Congress believes that it is for the "general welfare."
But this is absurd. If Congress could spend on anything it seems to promote the "general welfare," then there is absolutely nothing they could fund that would be unconstitutional.
I could go on, but I'll leave you with something to ponder. Why is Social Security (and Medicare) funded by a "payroll tax" that goes into a "trust fund"? Why don't they just use income taxes and save some bookkeeping trouble?
Answer: Because Congress has no power under Article I to spend tax dollars on a compulsory national retirement program. Same for Medicare.
www.theguardian.com
