The Federalist Solution

[Mister D]

The bleating about broken government and partisanship continues: “Why can’t those boobs in Washington agree on anything?” We’re constantly told that the way to fix the country is to dethrone the Left and the Right and empower the middle. Americans Elect, No Labels, the Gangs of Six and Fourteen, conservative Democrats (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#), and liberal Republicans — handing things over to these middling mincers and half-a-loafers is supposed to be the answer to all of our problems. It’s as if we should just put Nelson Rockefeller’s mug on the dollar bill and be done with it.But what if the real compromise isn’t in forcing the Left and the Right to heel? What if instead the solution is to disempower the national elites who think they’ve got the answers to everything?
Federalism — the process whereby you push most political questions to the lowest democratic level possible — has been ripe on the right for years now. It even had a champion in Texas governor (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#) Rick Perry, and Ron Paul still carries that torch.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/293985/federalist-solution-jonah-goldberg

[Mister D]

Short article. Worth the time to read.

[Peter1469]

A lost concept in America. What a shame.

[Chris]

"The Federalist Solution: Making political decisions at the lowest democratic level is the best Left-Right compromise."

Libertarianism.

[Conley]

Making political decisions at the lowest democratic level is the best Left-Right compromise.

I couldn't agree more. That's really what it all boils down to.

[Conley]

:laugh: I had this page open for a while and hadn't reloaded, so Chris's reply wasn't there when I posted. I promise! :grin:

[Chris]

You agreed, too late now!! lol But, federalism is basic libertarianism, of the minarchy sort. Now federalism usually implies state government, but there's no reason not to go down to the country/parish level like Swiss cantons.

[Stoney]

“Why can’t those boobs in Washington agree on anything?”

And it was intended that congress would be slow to agree. The less they do the better off we are.

[RollingWave]

“Why can’t those boobs in Washington agree on anything?”

And it was intended that congress would be slow to agree. The less they do the better off we are.

This would be the case if they didn't control a gigantic budget and often legislate crazy things in small details.

It use to be that laws were suppose to be the basic guidelines and teh executive / local governments define the details, now for some reason the legislators seem to decide they should define the details too.

With the way the US is these days, decentralizing wouldn't be a bad idea as long as that doesn't include the military, unless I'm terriblly mistaken the US isn't at fix of Civil War II anytime soon (which was the background and reason for the more centralized Federal gov.. that and WW I and II)

[Mainecoons]

The problem is the D.C. clowns control a blank check. Take away the blank check and make them balance budgets like most of the states do (except for the failing liberal ones) and it would be a whole new ballgame.

[Chris]

Agree, mainecoons, but then they'll just borrow us down the road to serfdom.