Don't Blame the Computers

Budget director blames old computers for ineffective government
(via Instapundit)

It is a poor craftsman who blames his tools.

The government is ineffective because it's trying to do things beyond its few legitimate functions. Shiny new computers aren't going to help them spread the wealth around, or enable transformational change all that much.

In other words, government isn't working because its doing things it can't and shouldn't do.

It's not just my personal preference for limited government that's behind this. Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution outlines the very specific enumerated powers granted to the federal government. The 9th and 10th Amendments confirm that powers not specifically granted to the federal government are retained by the States and People. Thanks to 200+ years of generous reinterpretation by the Supreme Court, the government operates under "constitutional law" rather than the Constitution. Today, even if actions by the federal government violate the very letter of the Constitution, as long as lawyers can point to some vaguely-worded SCOTUS opinion that seems to support their case, the leviathan marches on.

More here: Healthcare: Is "mandatory insurance" unconstitutional?

"Constitutional Law" vs. the Constitution

My soon-to-be brother-in-law is in law school and just completed a class in "Constitutional Law." The entire course was spent exploring SCOTUS opinions regarding the 14th amendment. Absolutely nothing else. He tells me there are no other required courses that cover the Constitution at all.

I'm told this is a common experience among law students. If these students aren't taught the basic principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, what hope is there that the majority will actually understand them? If lawyers don't even understand the Constitution, what hope is there that the People will? If the People don't really understand the Constitution, what hope is there that they'll elect representatives who do? This is how we end up with rulers rather than representatives...