Which document provides better direction for the US the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution?

Answer 1

The Declaration of Independence gave the reason for separating from Britain. It is a philosophical statement on the purpose and origin of government with specific complaints against the king.

The Constitution is the legal document which guides the direction of the US. As such it is the best document to guide the US.

It might be successfully argued that if the government of the US loses the process of checks and balances to the point that the Constitution is ignored in practice, that the people have the legitimate right to separate and again form a new government under the same philosophical reasons that we gave King George.

The Supreme Court refuses to hear cases on Presidential qualifications and has violated the Constitution with decisions that permit the Government to take private property and give it to other private citizens, and has refused to protect children based on where they live.

Congress has abandoned its responsibility in declaring war and has passed the buck to the executive in the War Powers Act. They have leveraged the interstate commerce provisions of the Constitution to regulate nearly everything else in the lives of citizens.

The Executive has ruled by Fiat.

The military has refused to honor its oath to protect the Constitution from enemies within and without since it refuses to insist upon a legal declaration of war before going to war.

So the Declaration of Independence would be the best document for guiding a rebellion whose purpose it would be "to form a more perfect union". However, it's philosophy is based in the firm belief in a Creator, and the system of government proposed was never expected to be successful without that foundation. So any current rebellion has no philosophical basis for authority since the US is a post-Christian nation. Without inalienable rights granted by a Creator, the tyrant has the same right as the citizen, that whoever has might has right.