[ExI] Why Cities Keep Growing, Corporations and People Always Die, and Life Gets Faster

[Damien Sullivan]

On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 09:39:25AM -0700, spike wrote:

> > >... a couple of courts have labelled it as "unconstitutional" which is
> accurate enough IMHO.
> 
> >...And a bunch of other courts didn't... -xx- Damien X-)

Oh, and at least one judge who ruled it unconstitutional owns a big
chunk of a GOP consulting firm.
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/judge-who-ruled-health-care-reform-unconstitutional-owns-piece-of-gop-consulting-firm.php

> I have read the US constitution word for word, and I find in there nothing
> that indicates the US government has the authority to make anyone buy
> anything.  The US government has the authority to regulate commerce, but as

Well, technically it's a tax increase that's waiveable if you
purchase health insurance or can prove that you can't afford to.

> far as I can tell, they haven't the authority to regulate non-commerce.

A narrow reading of the constitution also rules out the war on drugs,
the air force, control of nuclear weapons and material, the Bush vs. Gore
decision in 2000, and lots of other things.  Many of which would make
libertarians happy, but it's interesting to see what gets people antsy.

> Individual states have the authority to require that proles buy insurance,
> the fed doesn't.  Looks to me like the fed would need to pass a

But the fed does have the authority to shape tax policy.

-xx- Damien X-)