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Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
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April 08, 2003
Big mistake
Ninety years ago today, on April 8, 1913, the 17th amendment to the US constitution was ratified. It changed the way US senators are selected from being picked by the various state legislatures to being selected by direct popular election.
This constitutes one of the worst mistakes in the history of the republic, screwing up a very important constitutional design point of having one side of the congress once removed from popular whim. Now with the direct popular election of both sides of congress, the process of voting themselves bread and circuses runs unimpeded. More free stuff for everybody!!!
This change also hugely hurt the idea of federalism, of states having some control over the actions taken by the federal government. The selection of senators was the main way for state governments to have input into the actions of the federal government.
All in all, the 17th amendment represents the elevation of cheap egalitarian sentimentality over the carefully balanced social construct of our founders.
posted by Al at 4/08/2003 12:34:00 AM
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