Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Rule of Law - Rights

While the Constitution is based on enduring principles and the intent of the framers, it doesn’t cover everything in today’s world. That’s why we need laws and regulations to adapt constitutional principles to new technologies like the internet. This ensures that we protect rights and freedoms while staying true to the spirit of the Constitution.

Legislating laws and regulating the internet helps us fill in the gaps between constitutional principles and modern life.

I don’t think the founding fathers took the internet into consideration (jokingly speaking), but we have to adapt a Constitution that can still guide us in the 21st century

Constitution is truth-based framer’s intent laid out in words. This is ONLY a framework. Do we really need to go out of this framework, i.e. abolish and establish a new OR keep the old and do amends, to keep up with today is the question.

Neither is really required is my answer.

I can provide the gist of the Constitution in just 2 sentences.

  1. Constitution sets out to protect the (God given) rights - in expressing, in practicing religion, protecting oneself, to have life and liberty, to have property, to have privacy etc. etc. - of an individual.
  2. Constitution sets out to establish justice, domestic tranquility, common defense, welfare and liberty for the people.

In terms of intent, what needs changed here to suit 21st century demands? None whatsoever, would be my answer!

Does anything needs changed in the letter? Those things can be accommodated in the Constitution but I do not really see a need there either.

Does one’s rights need waived for a new or changed constitution adaptation?
Or does one need to compromise on the justice, peacefulness, welfare and liberty, say, in order to enjoy 21st century “developments”?

The answer is NO!

The so called good from any unconstitutional and unlawful 21st developments (you would see violations left and right, looking to take cover by broadening their beneficiaries!) are only to entice people into a form of permanent slavery in which rights are lost and moral and ethical standards are compromised!

Are people for truth-based Constitution?
Are people for lie-based Constitution?

Constitution offers freedom and it cannot give in to do the opposite!

I hope this clarifies it a bit more.

I’ll add an example to show how constitution and current laws are probably sufficient to handle issues arising out of internet communications.

An analogy to understand the issue to be discussed and its impact: How would you feel if things in your baggage are looted at an airport in a poor country during security scan?

Issue: Possible intellectual property rights abuse by corporations from monitoring computer related work using internet technology and transferring know-how’s to other employees. When corporations (airports) introduce a clause in their employment agreement that a contractor’s activities might be monitored and recorded (scan at the airport), how is it ensured intellectual property stealing (loot at the airport) is not happening? Do the corporations allow government oversight?

Who is impacted? Contractors and possibly experienced employees

Violation: 5th amendment violation to individual’s (intellectual) property right

While it is so obvious there is a violation, possible reasons why corporations think that they could get away:

  1. Corporations have a contract clause and consent for activities to be monitored
  2. Monitored activity is considered as work-for-hire by courts
  3. Compensation paid is sufficient to pass “instance and expense” test by courts

So, if the know-how’s from monitoring deemed as work-for-hire using “instance and expense” test by the courts, and I believe that is how it is considered, there is a problem! What is not accounted for is, in such cases, a hybrid (combination) of exclusive and non-exclusive right for the know-how is what is transferred. As a rule of thumb, 15x for non-exclusive right and 1x for exclusive right, a value for potential know-how transfer for the hybrid situation should be somewhere between 5 and 10. In other words, if a worker gets $40/hr, a contractor should get $200/hr-$400/hr (wow!) if his/her contract allowed a possibility for know-how transfer from the monitoring activities.

Courts should not be using “instance and expense” test instead they should be using “instance and acceptable value” (my recommendation) test! Why the latter is not used – something to think about!

How do corporations benefit? Less dollar paid to contractor, competitors are developed at the contractor’s expense (after all employees are internal vendors) while non-disclosure of corporation secret is expected at contractor’s end, more pay for upper management etc. etc.

Corporations should learn to play by rules first.

But otherwise, there is no constitutional amendment, or additional law required, except maybe laws for automatic government oversight, to handle this internet introduced monitoring issue. All it requires is a will to apply the law! :slight_smile:

An opinion piece in National Review by Ramesh Ponnuru caught my attention today. He has delivered a speech on this in April this year which seems be out of my analyzing my thoughts/stand on originalism I expressed even before earlier this year. In this opinion piece, he tries to balance but finally he ends thus:

For decades, progressives have told us in so many words that we must keep the Constitution in tune with the times, and there is something to that. The Constitution often has to be applied to new circumstances, sometimes has to be amended. But there’s something more important still, something that Walter Berns told us decades ago, and that is that we need to keep the times in tune with the Constitution. In that endeavor, I thank you for your support.

Ramesh Ponnuru: Originalism Is Breaking Out All Over (msn.com)

A YouTube was pushed to me yesterday, so I thought I share this…

A top law professor is echoing my views on the only correct interpreting principle and the definition of it, i.e. on Originalism!

“Well, I can define originalism in one sentence, and that is, the meaning of the Constitution should remain the same until it’s properly changed by amendment” - Randy Bernett in a YouTube video 3 weeks ago!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPkTbLfLFms

His book, “A Life for Liberty: The making of an American Originalist” July 2, 2024!!!

My views have also put pressure on Justice Jackson!

What does this mean? The justices who have used other interpretive principles will be history now!! Law schools will have to revise their books! (Now this should also revive the question on presidential (status) eligibility! :wink:)

This is the impact of Truth, this is the power of resurrection! :slightly_smiling_face: