Tank
SWRP Writer
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2013
- Messages
- 1,086
- Reaction score
- 64
Uh, Citation needed? From what I know, one of the main reasons the Articles where thrown out was due to the instabilities in the system as exposed by Shay's Rebellion, as well as the lack of a stable economy due to an abundance of different currencies in circulation, not to mention the requirement of all states to make a decision meant little was actually accomplished. I'm aware this would be changed in the system you propose, however I can still consider many of these issues still being a present.
Shay's Rebellion was a failure on the part of Maryland (I believe) to suppress the rebellion; at which point the federal government stepped in a stopped it from escalating. The system worked as it should have. It was resolved slowly because it was the 1700s but it was taken care of in due course. In today's time, with modern police and military forces possessed by states and the federal government it would be hard for something similar to Shay's rebellion to occur again. The economy would have sorted itself out. The main issue back then was finding people who knew what they were doing and didn't print off money like idiots and cause inflation. With the population we have now in each state we wouldn't have issues finding competent people who can effectively run a state, the issue is getting them elected. (But that's an issue for any elected form of government. I think the 2/3 system (used during either continental congress or later under the confederacy) is fine. And the states only come together to vote on federal government powers and a 2/3 majority is a fine system.
@Tank ok the reason they needed money was to be actually able to run a government, like a military, build roads and other stuff that required federal government to do something. It wasn't working because with no way to collect taxes the government couldn't really run. It wasn't about oh the government needs money because it wants it but because it does actually need it to run.
Federal government doesn't need to do much. It needs to be able to raise an army, declare war, collect tariffs, and formulate foreign pollicy. Roads are a state issue. Social issues (outreach programs like headstart) are a state issue. Education is a state issue. Taxes are a state issue. I would allow the federal government to take a portion of states' collected taxes to help pay for the above federal government duties; but there cannot be a federal tax on an individual. You are correct, a government does to collect taxes to run; but that government should be a state government not a federal government.
I'm headed to bed guys and wont be able to reply for nearly 18 hours (work you know); so don't take silence as abandoning the thread. Though, truth be told, if there are a million replies in those 18 hours I may not reply. :P If you want to be sure I respond you can PM me. I enjoyed our conversation, glad it stayed mostly civil and hope to continue it tomorrow.