Who Are the Most Powerful People in America?

[Chris]

Hayek, The Road to Serfdom, 1944, warned about the rise of the bureaucratic state. Alas, too late. It has risen in Europe under communism, Nazism, and fascism. It had arisen in the US under Wilson and perfected under FDR. Progress, inevitable reaction to Enlightened individualism, as the Rousseauian contradiction of freedom from society under the authority of the state.

In this video, it results in millions of little kings each making new laws. The solution given is to force the legislature to follow the Constitution and not delegate lawmaking to the administrative state, and for citizens to vote for who represents us.

Either way, under democracy, even representative, we end up with short-sighted, high time preference, corrupt little kings who have no stake in the game and are eager to sell out to the highest bidders. At least kings, before they became absolute monarchs who no longer follwed the law, had stake in the game in their reputations and their family and their kingdoms and their heritage, and thus longer-sighted, lower time preference.

But I digress from the video...



(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwmUH5AGydQ)

[Hoosier8]

The CIA and FBI that now operate as a separate branch of government.

[Just AnotherPerson]

I truly believe the citizens of this nation are the most powerful people in America. People just havent figured it out yet and the powers that be would like to keep it like that. The system is already in place if we would just think to use it. We have opted out and that is why things have come to the present state. But if we just step back in and start participating we can make the changes we seek without shedding one drop of blood. The powers that be are aware of how powerful the people are that is why they make a concerted effort to keep us dumbed down.

[Just AnotherPerson]

One more thing the little kings will no longer sell out to the highest bidder when the people demand it to end. When they no longer elect bought politicians. It is already happeing.

[Chris]

One more thing the little kings will no longer sell out to the highest bidder when the people demand it to end. When they no longer elect bought politicians. It is already happeing.

No, I truly believe it's just the nature of the democratic system. We purchase our freedom, from society, by bowing to the state. You speak of the people changing things but always it's the people working through the state and by doing so empower the state all the more.

[Mister D]

Agreed. Individual autonomy has made the state indispensible and has allowed the state to enter spheres it was previously excluded from. Individual liberty and state power grow in tandem. One of greatest historical ironies I've ever come across.

[Chris]

Agreed. Individual autonomy has made the state indispensible and has allowed the state to enter spheres it was previously excluded from. Individual liberty and state power grow in tandem. One of greatest historical ironies I've ever come across.

Nisbet's Quest, chapter "Sovereignty and Associations," covers this from Jean Bodin through Hobbes to Rousseau. It's what I refer to when I say the Rousseauian contradiction, finding freedom from society through subservience to the state. Bodin is perhaps the most interesting of them because while he advocated for the absolute soveregnty of the king he was conflicted in surrendering the authority of those other spheres the state was previously excluded from, family, church, and other associations.

[Mister D]

Nisbet's Quest, chapter "Sovereignty and Associations," covers this from Jean Bodin through Hobbes to Rousseau. It's what I refer to when I say the Rousseauian contradiction, finding freedom from society through subservience to the state. Bodin is perhaps the most interesting of them because while he advocated for the absolute soveregnty of the king he was conflicted in surrendering the authority of those other spheres the state was previously excluded from, family, church, and other associations.

The section on Bodin is exactly where I stopped reading on Sunday. I'm enjoying this book. His themes are very similar much of what I've read over the last 10 years but somehow fresh.

[Just AnotherPerson]

No, I truly believe it's just the nature of the democratic system. We purchase our freedom, from society, by bowing to the state. You speak of the people changing things but always it's the people working through the state and by doing so empower the state all the more.

The sad thing is that you are not even willing to give it a chance. It is already being worked on as we speak. There are some working to end the corruption. There are some who are no longer taking donations, and some who have never taken any, some who are outing corruption. This is the peaceful answer. Tell me since you are not willing to even consider the peaceful way. How can your way be done without one drop of blood being spilled? Will your way require the spilling of blood? Or do you have peaceful means to accomplish your goals?

[Common]

Instead of leaving the kid alone and letting him enjoy probably the greatest moment of his life so far they have to break his balls over a tweet