Violation of the Eighth Amendment Rights of Every Tax-Paying American by the Cruel and Unusual Punishment of Excessive Fines

The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution reads: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” Historically, this particular amendment has been applied primarily, if not exclusively, to people that have ended up in the punishment phase of the American judicial system. But should that be the end of it? Are there other potential applications of the Eighth Amendment on a broader scale? I think there are. Every element of the United States Constitution, including the Eighth Amendment, applies to every single American citizen and generally to everyone in the United States, citizen or not. Is there anything to debate about this interpretation? I don’t think so. I see no indication that limits the Eighth Amendment to only those involved in the judicial process.