Bøger af C Paul Smith

Many Americans today do not understand the genius of capitalism. They never learned at school how the capitalism/free enterprise system has been the catalyst and foundation that has made America the most prosperous nation in the history of the world. Failure to understand how capitalism is a key ingredient of our creative, ingenious, productive and prosperous economy puts Americans and their elected officials at risk to mishandle the many political issues that affect our economy. This book is written to help cure this lack of understanding.The right of the individual to own and control property is not a right that is mentioned in the Constitution. But it is the most fundamental of all aspects of liberty and freedom. Without the right to own and control property there is no liberty.No nation in the history of the world has achieved the widespread prosperity for more people than has America. And it is the freedom of capitalism that has made this happen.The freedom and right to control property is what gives individuals the incentive and opportunity to create, to make, to produce and to reap profits and rewards. Capitalism is the engine of economic prosperity.Socialism deprives itself of the diversity and creativity and personal incentives that are the foundation of prosperity in the free enterprise system.Capitalism is not inherently bad any more than freedom is bad. Just as freedom allows for people to make choices, so does capitalism allow for both good choices and bad ones. For the environmentalists, socialism is the way to fix climate change; for them, when the government controls everything, the government can make people do the things that will stop climate change.Socialism is just like the quest for economic security by playing the lottery.Socialists ask what your country can do for you. Socialists insist that everyone is entitled to the wealth possessed by others. They insist that people have the right to free stuff from the government-food, housing, health care, education, a living wage, vacation and retirement.Any time a government takes away property from those who create it through their creativity, incentive, hard work, marketing skills, and management abilities-this stifles and kills the liberties and incentives that create wealth. Socialism kills the very intangibles that are the foundation of prosperity.Socialism is a fraud. It promises equality and prosperity for all, at the expense of the wealthy. This equality of benefits approach is touted as the new standard of morality which will lead to prosperity and freedom for all. But it is a lie. It may lead to some short-term equality of property holdings, but it invariably leads to a disintegration of the economy, at the same time bringing a loss of freedom.

The State of the Constitution-2017 is a compilation of seventeen editions of the newsletter, Constitutional Law Updates (from 2001-2017). These writings contain lucid, concise and insightful analysis of the primary cases and events that have shaped the Constitution in the last sixteen years-from the Supreme Court case in 2000 that stopped the Florida recounts and resulted in the election of George W. Bush as President to the tumultuous and volatile campaign in 2016 that resulted in the election of Donald J. Trump as President, although he lost the popular vote by 2 million votes. This book will be a valuable resource book for elected officials, historians, Constitutional scholars and informed citizens. These writings were initially written to supplement the text, The State of the Constitution (2002), but the value of these essays, commentaries and opinion pieces warrants the publication of this book as a stand-alone volume. Those who love the Constitution will cherish this book and will find it a valuable resource in addressing many of the important moral, legal and political issues that continue to shape the political debates today in America. This is a valuable resource book for elected officials at all levels and for those intending to run for political office. This commentary and analysis helps the average citizen to understand the key issues that have been resolved for better or for worse as the Supreme Court, Congress and Presidents have made laws and established policies. For example, it is not enough to merely state an opinion that the case Citizens United was decided correctly by the Supreme Court. The section in this book that analyzes that opinion explains that the Court properly struck down that part of the Campaign Finance Reform Act that gave mainstream media corporations the right to make political commentary before primary and general election day, but which prohibited other private corporations from making such commentary during the key, pre-election days. Similarly, it is not enough to merely disagree with the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in every state in America. Elected leaders can be more effective and influential if they will understand how five of the Justices in the Obergefell case abandoned the Court's time-honored standard of not establishing a new "right" or "liberty" unless such a right first has first become firmly entrenched in society's history, practices and traditions. Additional insightful legal and/or historical discussions are included on- - the District of Columbia v. Heller case (2nd Amendment); - the Bush v. Gore case (ruling that state election processes must meet Due Process requirements); - the Massachusetts v. EPA case (declaring CO2 to be a pollutant); - the Boumediene v. Bush case (extending habeas corpus rights to enemy combatants); - the NFIB v. Sebelius case (upholding the Affordable Care Act as a "tax" that does not violate the Commerce Clause); - the Lawrence v. Texas case (creating a "liberty" to engage in homosexual sex). - several First Amendment, free speech and freedom of religion cases, including-Boy Scouts of America v. Dale; - serious flaws in two United Nations treaties-The Convention on the Rights of the Child and The Convention on Elimination of Discrimination against Women. - an excellent comparison of the platforms of the Republican and Democrat candidates for President - an analysis of the election of Donald J. Trump as President - the defection of Senator Jeffords in 2001 (when he left the Republican Party and began to caucus with the Democrats); - the expulsion of Congressman James Traficant in 2003; - the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor of California; - the aftermath of 9-11, the War in Iraq, and global terrorism; - Senate Rule XXII (the filibuster rule) and the "nuclear option" and - the Electoral College, and how it has operated in close elections.