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> Everyone seems to think of the government as this black box that has a mind of its own and inflict laws and rules upon us. This 1000x. This or something lik
by nerfhammer 10y ago
> Everyone seems to think of the government as this black box that has a mind of its own and inflict laws and rules upon us.
This 1000x.
This or something like it has been called the "paranoid style in american politics" as early as 50 years ago:
http://harpers.org/archive/1964/11/the-paranoid-style-in-american-politics/ http://harpers.org/archive/1964/11/the-paranoid-style-in-ame...
- smallnamespace 10y agoAs an American myself, I've always wondered whether there was something in the culture/genes of Americans that predisposed people towards paranoia towards all forms of external authority. I mean, American immigrants are literally a self-selected population of people who found their home societies chafing and restrictive enough that they were willing to migrate thousands of miles at great risk to build a new life. And this migration was repeated time and again within the US -- as each part of the country was populated, waves of Americans decided to strike out West and get out from underneath the bankers, politicians, and other elites that would take over. I think paranoia about government will always be the flip side to wanting to be fully free and independent (whether or not that is achievable in reality).