After the Supreme Court issued its decision today on Obamacare, a song lyric suddenly popped into my mind:
It's the end of the world as we know it.
Today, our Supreme Court essentially decided that pretty much any aspect of American life can be controlled by Congress and our President -- as long as it's couched in a tax. In its ruling, the Supreme Court decided that neither Congress nor the President have the power under the Commerce Clause to force Americans to engage in commerce. However, they decided, Americans can be taxed if they don't engage in that commerce. The difference is subtle in its wording, but not different in its outcome.
So, if Congress and our President decide that it's in the best interest of the country for all people to be members of health clubs (since the cost of being unhealthy is passed on to other Americans in the form of higher health care costs), then Congress and the President can simply pass a law taxing those who aren't members of health clubs.
If Congresss and the President decide that everyone should eat six servings of fruit and vegetables a day, they can simply tax those who don't eat six servings of those foods every day. Congress can also decide that we should all buy the Chevy Volt or another American-made electric car and tax us if we don't.
Simply put, there really is no limit now to what Congress and the President can order us to do. The door has been propped wide open for Congress and our President to control our lives.
Given that our President recently issued an Executive Order ignoring immigration laws passed by Congress and a previous President, essentially creating new law, today's ruling is even more troubling. If a President can ignore laws securing our borders and if he and Congress can force us to engage in commerce by taxing us if we don't, then our President can pretty much control our lives.
Today's ruling from the Supreme Court clearly changes our world as we know it. And I don't feel fine.
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