3 ms·
Active, aggressive democratic government across a highly diverse political, cultural and social environment is as tyrannical as any other political arrangement,
by carsongross 12y ago
Active, aggressive democratic government across a highly diverse political, cultural and social environment is as tyrannical as any other political arrangement, perhaps worse due to the implied legitimacy of the governments actions ("We" bombed iraq, "we" tortured terrorist suspects.)
The only humane option is secessionism, which has been poisoned in american political discourse by its historical association with slavery. Why Alabama and California should have anything more than, perhaps, a mutual defense pact, at this point, is beyond me.
- geogra4 12y agoThere's a lot of money to be lost in transactional costs when crossing country borders vis-a-vie state borders.
- Diederich 12y agoKeep in mind that your average resident of Orange County, California is likely more conservative (for some reasonable definition of the word) than your average resident of Athens, Georgia. (I jumped out of Alabama, but I hope my point is clear.) The American people aren't nearly as polarized as the American people think.
- carsongross 12y agoThere is no "american people". And yes, my point holds, down to the metropolitan area.
- ende 12y agoYou have a point but there are alternatives short of outright political disassociation. Namely devolution. American Federalism needs to find its Goldilocks moment. The first era of federalism was too decentralized, then the second era beginning with the Civil War witnessed too much centralization. There's a better balance to be struck that devolves most goverance to the local and state level, while preserving the Federal government's role as interstate arbiter, international face, and ultimate guarantor of civil rights and liberties.