Is It Time For the Senate to Go?

[Martin_Hyde]

@foolsguinea

No, you pretty much said upthread we were stuck with the 220±year-old decision, because teh Constitution! Yeah, just like 3/5 of a man!

I’ve not said anything contradictory. I said if a free society wants the Senate gone, then it should be–and the way that would happen is by changing our Constitution.

I said that if you want the Senate gone you need to fundamentally alter the Constitution. Since the Constitution strictly forbids amendments denying States equal representation in the Senate, you’re going to have to get creative and perhaps create a whole new Constitution to replace ours. I don’t know how it would work; I don’t think the SCOTUS can rule on a U.S. Constitutional Amendment so if all parties agreed on it I don’t know that there is an inherent problem if an amendment were passed voiding out the Senate.

As for the rest, don’t tell us we can’t want change because we don’t want change, that’s circular. Those of us who want the Senate gone are trying to convince others, and that’s what we’ll do if such twaddle is the best you can offer.

I’ve never said you can’t want change. I explained my reasons for supporting the Senate, they weren’t democratic reasons. I actually don’t feel democracy is an ideal form of government, so “it’s more fair and representative” has no value to me personally. I explained why we should have a Senate in post 41, 43, 45, 53, 75, 80, and 81 I see absolutely no reason to restate them. However just because I’m not restating them does not mean I came into this thread and said “we should only have a Senate because we have a Senate and no one has voted to abolish it.” After making my arguments you that oppose the Senate disagreed. That doesn’t mean I need to make my arguments again, because your counterarguments I disagree with. You’re not going to persuade me and I’m not going to persuade you. This isn’t a math problem and there isn’t a right or a wrong answer, only opinion supported by argument. The arguments have been made. So at that point I think it entirely appropriate to basically say, “Well, if you want the Senate to be done away with you know what you have to do, but as far as I can tell this is an issue with virtually no support in the mainstream United States, so good luck.”

I’ve also pointed out ways in which individual large States could remove some of the Senatorial imbalance themselves, without the need for approval from 3/4ths of the States.