The notion that the only purpose of the federal government is to defend and protect the nation is a fallacy that has been put forward for far too long by those proclaiming to be “fiscal conservatives” but who in reality are constitutional deniers. What they are denying is a key phrase and primary goal of the Constitution.

And, ironically, they are all too often the same people who claim to be constitutional originalists, preaching a literal interpretation of that document that erroneously puts…