Articles of Freedom, part 10

This is a series of posts concerning the works of the 2009 Continental Congress. Two weeks ago I wrote about Article 8 of the Articles of Freedom, which was about juries and the seventh amendment. Now I will continue with Article 9, the text of which follows.

I completely agree with this article. Too bad most conservatives still don’t understand either the proper role of government or that Biblical mandate concerning “bless[ing] those who bless you [Abraham]” is talking about Christians, not any race of people. (Read Galatians 3:16, 28-29, get a KJV, and get a clue that Arabs are also literal descendents of Abraham!) Of course, this doesn’t just apply to Israel, but also to any other nation which we have enslaved ourselves (i.e. China, South Korea, Germany, etc.).

ARTICLE 9.

FOREIGN POLICY AND THE GENERAL WELFARE CLAUSE OF THE

PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION

A. BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

The "general Welfare" is mentioned twice in the Constitution for the United States.

First in the Preamble where embedded with other reasons to establish a Constitution, it is stated: “. . . to promote the general Welfare . . .”

Article I § 8 then states: “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common defence and general Welfare of the United States; . . .” This declarative sentence is followed by a list of powers that restrict what Congress may do in this regard.

As James Madison states in Federalist 41 referencing the General Welfare clause: “Nothing is more natural or common, than to use a general phrase, and then to explain or qualify it by a recital of particulars.” Madison further writes that it would be an “absurdity” if the list of particulars was interpreted as anything but restrictive on the general statement.

Therefore, notwithstanding the interpretations of the past century, the Congress of the United States has misinterpreted the General Welfare clause in order to expand its powers and to impose the tyranny of unjust taxes upon The People.

The Preamble of the Constitution reveals that one of the reasons for its creation is to promote the general welfare of the people. A foreign policy which seeks to meddle in the internal affairs of foreign countries, including the act of choosing sides, is clearly detrimental to this cause. The “9-11” Report documents that this policy of meddling has caused foreign nationals to turn their hostilities toward Americans. These hostilities have given rise to domestic policies such as the so-called “war on terror”, which have resulted in the enactment of statutes such as the USA PATRIOT ACT that are inconsistent with the so-called Privacy Clause of the 4th Amendment.

There can be no doubt that this policy has endangered the security of the American people and has restricted their Natural Rights. This approach to relations with those beyond our borders clearly does not serve the General Welfare and does not serve the national interest.

The federal government has been served with a Petition for Redress of this grievance. However the government has failed to respond. Such refusal to respond, along with infringement of natural and enumerated Rights, Freedoms and Liberties reflects the behavioral characteristics of a police state.

The general welfare of the People is a principal goal of the United States Constitution, which implies a foreign policy consistent with the admonition of George Washington in his Farewell Address regarding foreign nations – i.e., “to have with them as little political connection as possible.”

We might look to Switzerland, a land-locked country in Central Europe, which has one of the highest GDP per capita in the world, which has avoided war since 1815 despite shared-borders with Germany, Italy and France.

Switzerland has remained aggressively neutral and her citizens are well-armed and well-prepared in the defense of their country.

B. REMEDIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO CONGRESS

Follow the Constitution for the United States:

1. Discontinue funding for any foreign aid or other funding that is not necessary for the defense against invasion of the United States;

2. Treaties that are inconsistent with or that violate the Constitution that have been ratified shall be nullified; and any further treaties that would infringe upon individual rights, liberties and freedoms, or that are otherwise repugnant to the Constitution shall not be ratified;

3. Repeal the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, REAL ID, and any other statute repugnant to the 4th Amendment of the Constitution.

C. REMEDIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO EACH OF THE SEVERAL STATES

The State Legislature of each of the several States shall pass a resolution in support of the above instructions to the Congress and thus exercise our just- powers as guaranteed by the 10th Amendment of the Bill of Rights.

D. RECOMMENDED CIVIC ACTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE

We call upon the People to:

1. Raise their voices with ours and those of each of the several States in support of the above instructions to the U.S. Congress;

2. Educate themselves and encourage their fellow citizens to increase their knowledge and awareness of this topic in order to bring our elected officials back under the control of the Constitution, and therefore, of the People;

3. Become personal ambassadors of good-will to citizens of all nations.

(from Articles of Freedom, the Works of the Continental Congress 2009)

Continue here.