A tweak here, a tweak there, starting with the truth
Richard Rahn
Commentary
The Washington Times
12/30/2013
New Year’s resolutions are difficult to keep. That is why I find it easier to make them for others, rather than myself, as part of my other-people improvement program. The country would not be on the road to ruin if those in government would follow the New Year’s resolutions I propose for them, starting with President Obama (as part of my fantasy world)…
Judges should resolve to follow what is actually written in the Constitution, not how they would like it to be written, or how convenient it is for government to ignore. For instance, the words of the Fifth Amendment are very clear in their meaning: “No person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” Yet again, just last week, a federal court ruled against a person who declined to turn over his papers to the IRS on the basis of possible self-incrimination. If judges had been true to the Constitution, much of what the federal government does, it would not be doing, and the country would not be facing financial destruction and a loss of liberty.
The irony is that the president, Congress, the IRS and the judiciary are undermining the people’s respect for them and sowing the seeds of their own destruction by not following these simple resolutions.
Finally, voters should resolve to restrain themselves from voting for politicians who promise them goodies to be paid for by the tooth fairy or someone else. It is normal for small children to seek immediate gratification, but adults of voting age are supposed to be able to think about the long-term consequences of their actions…
The entire op-ed is at The Washington Times.
