My friends on the left should take comfort from the fact--and it is a fact--that a 9-0 conservative SCOTUS could not do more than dent the revolution that the left majority worked on the Constitution from 1937–42. Trash the enumerated powers, and there's no way back.
Some Leftists argue 'Well, Article I, section 8 of the Constitution says gov't should 'provide for the general Welfare'. How can libertarians like us argue that shouldn't include a welfare state?
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The key word is "general", which by definition would be limited in scope so as to apply to everyone (functioning economy, infrastructure). The bastardization in use today applies to specialized groups only. It cannot be "general" welfare if it applies to a small number only.
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That argument is guilty of anachronism. In the 18th century sense, "general Welfare" meant providing the basic public goods that Adam Smith would have approved of (maybe not even that- I'm no expert). The modern use of 'welfare' as a euphemism for socialism is not relevant.
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General welfare is a purpose, not a power. There would have been no point in laying out specific powers of each branch if the founders just wanted to say "The government can do whatever it wants."
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By saying, "look, I wouldn't have signed the Constitution, alright?"
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If “anachronism” doesn’t kill off the second amendment “right to own a gun the founders never dreamt of”, I don’t see how it can make “general welfare” not include health, education and housing.
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