By THOMAS SOWELL - Posted
07/02/2012 06:31 PM ET
Betrayal is hard to take, whether in
our personal lives or in the political life of the nation. Yet there are people
in Washington — too often, Republicans — who start living in the Beltway
atmosphere, and start forgetting those hundreds of millions of Americans beyond
the Beltway who trusted them to do right by them, to use their wisdom instead of
their cleverness.
As we and our fellow citizens observe this Independence Day commemorating the adoption of the Declarationof Independence on July 4, 1776, it is appropriate that each
of us reflect upon the events of this past week and the decision reached by our
Supreme Court this past Thursday. After
236 years of liberty and freedom under the protection of our Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution of our nation, Chief Justice Roberts has
single handedly brought that history and tradition to a halt.
Why did he do it? Why did this respected conservative uphold
what seems to be a dictatorial seizure of power — to order every citizen to buy
health insurance or be punished and fined?
Congress can do this, wrote Roberts, because even if President
Obama and his solicitor general insist the fine is not a tax, we can call it a
tax:
“If a statute has two possible
meanings, one of which violates the Constitution, courts should adopt the
meaning that does not do so. … If the mandate is in effect just a tax hike on
certain taxpayers who do not have health insurance, it may be within Congress’s
constitutional power to tax.”
Roberts is saying that if Congress, in order to stimulate the
economy, orders every middle-class American to buy a new car or face a $5,000
fine, such a mandate is within its power.
Until now, Congress could indeed offer tax credits as an
incentive for buying a new car. But if a man would prefer to bank his money and
not buy a new car, can Congress order him to buy one — and fine him [a
penalty] if he refuses?
Roberts has just said that Congress has that power.
Be assured that that fact has not escaped president Obama! If he is re-elected this fall, do not be
surprised if he and the Democrats use that new power to impose their will and
vision for a new society on this nation.
As the Chief Justice wrote in his opinion:
“We (the
Court) possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy
judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our nation’s elected leaders, who
can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job
to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.”
It is my sincere hope that “the people” of this
great nation will think long and hard on this Independence Day about what has just
transpired and the consequences of their past electoral actions or inactions. Consider what must be done in the coming
general election least we may have just witnessed the opening of the final
chapter of “the great experiment”.
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