As all major politicians move more and more towards centralization as the solution to virtually every problem in this country, there’s no greater need to start looking back to America’s founding principles of state sovereignty, argues Clay Barham at PopulistAmerica.com
Here’s an excerpt:
If there were ever a time where the founding principle of America, as a nation, is justified again, it is the issue of state sovereignty. The notion of multiple governing entities, contractually united for a few common and limited purposes, where all else are functions of each state, is apparent in the campaign of 2008.
The big question, of course, is – “why?”
Well, it’s really quite simple.
Experience and the entire history of the human struggle for freedom strongly suggest that a decentralized government is that which is most compatible with long-term liberty. There are a number of reasons in opposition to centralization and in favor of decentralized government:
In the first place, a localized system of government forces each region or jurisdiction to actually compete with each other for residents, and thus, for increased capital. Such a system naturally gives those governing a strong incentive to ensure a free society, or they will risk losing both residents and capital to an area with greater freedom. If tyrants still find a way to rule their areas, many people will find a way to leave. But, on the other hand, if that same tyrant was given the power to rule a broad area, or an entire nation, very few would be able to escape.
Going further with this, another reason is that despotism on a local level reduces the resultant damages just as despotism on a wide scale amplifies them.
Think about that.
For example, if Stalin had ruled only Moscow, Napoleon only Paris, and Mao had only ruled Beijing, the effects of their devastating rule would have had a much greater chance of being contained.
This is a simple concept; that evil people find it much harder to violate the rights of people outside their sphere of jurisdiction.
Barham adds some good perspective as well:
The young man, Obama, wants everyone to simply hand over his or her liberty to him. He says he will watch over it and hand back that which he decides is needed from time to time, but use the rest in order to better manage the nation and its economy, all of which he wants us to accept that he is capable of doing.
If we were still holding onto the principles of the founder’s of America, maintaining the position of sovereignty of each state, then the damage done by people like Obama and McCain would be limited to a state, as was the ruin of Louisiana by Huey Long.
The endless process of centralization in America has become a seemingly invincible force that, if not stopped in the near future, will eventually turn our great country into an absolute tyranny. Once central government starts growing, no matter what the reason may be, it will, just like all parasites, do anything possible to continue its growth.
Our best strategy is to be a constant reminder that one cannot be for liberty without also being intensely opposed to centralization. That is the just the role of the 10th Amendment.
“The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power, and proneness to abuse it, which predominates in the human heart is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position.”
– George Washington