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The founders of the USA were local elites who didn't want their power checked, so they created a weak central government. I'm more scared of local politicians
by iudqnolq 4y ago
The founders of the USA were local elites who didn't want their power checked, so they created a weak central government.
I'm more scared of local politicians than national ones. One reason is that natl politicians tend to get much more attention and oversight.
- kneebonian 4y agoI feel the other way. Local elites may be bad but they are bt definition local and you can leave from where they are.
- iudqnolq 4y agoThat is the best counterargument. But it's not clear to me that there will end up being better and worse places, instead of each place having its own brand of shitty local elites. And I don't want to bow down to elites allegedly on my side of the political spectrum, I don't want any of them having power over me.
- nine_k 4y agoMany of the founders ended up winning president elections. If Mr. Jefferson or Mr. Madison, with all their disagreement, would like to obtain more tyrannical powers for the US President, they were in a position to do so while writing Constitution. They both were elected presidents soon after.
- iudqnolq 4y agoYou're missing my entire point. The founders had significant local power their entire life. So they saw national power as something bad that could counter local power. They didn't want tyrannical powers for the president, that doesn't mean they weren't slaveholding authoritarians.