The Judicial Branch has never really been very powerful. Judicial review is probably the biggest power it has.
Problem is, in order for Judicial Review to work, someone has to break an unconstitutional law, be convicted, carry the case, and repeat the last two one more time for the Court to have any power over the law.
So, a Constitutional Amendment that we need, establishing Judicial Review BEFORE the unconstitutional law does its damage.
Even if Congress unanimously votes on a law and the President signs it, it must go to the Supreme Court, for the justices and such to judge on whether or not it's Constitutional. That way we won't have to be arrested for a law to be rescinded.
That's it. If there are any questions, I'll answer them.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Haiti made into an agricultural society
Everyone hears about Haiti around hurricane season, right?
"You know that country where there are almost no rich people and everyone is starving?"
"Haiti?"
"Yeah. There's been a hurricane."
"Aren't they still recovering from that earthquake we all heard about because it was going on during the election campaigns?"
"Yes."
Haiti used to be the single most valuable colony in the Americas, Britain and France dependent upon it for 40% of their imported sugar. It was France's richest colony, they could lose any other colony on North America, they'd still be able to turn a profit with just Haiti (which had a different name at the time).
This agricultural system was heavily reliant on slave labor, which the slaves did not like, and so they overthrew the French monarchy during Thomas Jefferson's presidency.
Almost no one approved of a slave country, not even the recently independent USA. But it still could have turned into a dominant trade market with its richness in trade... except that agriculture reminded them too much of slavery, so they destroyed the aqueducts and all that other stuff that allowed a plantation system to work.
I've seen Haiti, and I'm pretty sure they'd be glad to have a plantation society that's based on salary (not slavery) nowadays. But it's too late! Their only chance at being a world power gone!
No, we've promised them billions in relief that we haven't delivered on. I say we put that relief into some part-time work, get some American construction and architecture workers, use the billions to fix up Haiti, encourage an agricultural society, and give Haiti whatever's left over after we buy them some seed. Within a few years, Haiti will become a valuable trade partner.
But won't they just start growing drugs?
Haiti needs food. They trade expensive clothing for pennies whenever the markets between the DR and Haiti are open so that they can buy food and take it back to Haiti. They won't really have much of a choice but to grow the seeds we give them, either, since the DR's not selling (they like getting clothes cheap, why give Haiti a way to feed its own kids when they're willing to give you these cheap clothes if they get food?). Sure, it's a Hurricane magnet. Sure, earthquakes hit. But that should only be a problem to the agriculture if it comes around harvest time. And maybe a few times the harvest won't come in and we won't get the valuable trade that year. I believe that over time, Haiti will be more valuable than it is a risky investment.
Even if this plan fails, do we have a reason not to try? Is there any way that we can retain our humanity and NOT help Haiti?
My suggestion is high-risk. It's insane. It's radical.
It's right.
"You know that country where there are almost no rich people and everyone is starving?"
"Haiti?"
"Yeah. There's been a hurricane."
"Aren't they still recovering from that earthquake we all heard about because it was going on during the election campaigns?"
"Yes."
Haiti used to be the single most valuable colony in the Americas, Britain and France dependent upon it for 40% of their imported sugar. It was France's richest colony, they could lose any other colony on North America, they'd still be able to turn a profit with just Haiti (which had a different name at the time).
This agricultural system was heavily reliant on slave labor, which the slaves did not like, and so they overthrew the French monarchy during Thomas Jefferson's presidency.
Almost no one approved of a slave country, not even the recently independent USA. But it still could have turned into a dominant trade market with its richness in trade... except that agriculture reminded them too much of slavery, so they destroyed the aqueducts and all that other stuff that allowed a plantation system to work.
I've seen Haiti, and I'm pretty sure they'd be glad to have a plantation society that's based on salary (not slavery) nowadays. But it's too late! Their only chance at being a world power gone!
No, we've promised them billions in relief that we haven't delivered on. I say we put that relief into some part-time work, get some American construction and architecture workers, use the billions to fix up Haiti, encourage an agricultural society, and give Haiti whatever's left over after we buy them some seed. Within a few years, Haiti will become a valuable trade partner.
But won't they just start growing drugs?
Haiti needs food. They trade expensive clothing for pennies whenever the markets between the DR and Haiti are open so that they can buy food and take it back to Haiti. They won't really have much of a choice but to grow the seeds we give them, either, since the DR's not selling (they like getting clothes cheap, why give Haiti a way to feed its own kids when they're willing to give you these cheap clothes if they get food?). Sure, it's a Hurricane magnet. Sure, earthquakes hit. But that should only be a problem to the agriculture if it comes around harvest time. And maybe a few times the harvest won't come in and we won't get the valuable trade that year. I believe that over time, Haiti will be more valuable than it is a risky investment.
Even if this plan fails, do we have a reason not to try? Is there any way that we can retain our humanity and NOT help Haiti?
My suggestion is high-risk. It's insane. It's radical.
It's right.
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