"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"

The power: "to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Exices"

The PURPOSE of the power: "to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States"

The power is NOT to pay debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare...the power is simply to tax. This is written in clear, easy to understand language. If this were, in fact, a "tax AND SPEND" clause, there would be no need for the subsequent enumerated powers. It would be redundant to say that taxing power is where power to spend on common defense is derived and then list the specific areas below it. It is a sham. The subsequent powers that "provide...for the...general welfare" follow:

"To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;"

The powers that provide for the common defense follow:

"To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;"

Finally, the necessary and proper clause power is specifically in reference to making law concerning the previously mentioned powers.

So the question is, is it We the People who are insanely idiotic or is it our elected legislators and appointed justices? Perhaps, if this is really a subject that needs to be debated, All of the above...