Power Shift, Part 8: Concluding Thoughts

“If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you” Friedrich Nietzsche

I rather suspect many people that wield federal power or shape those who do have stared very long into the abyss. Some genuinely want to make life better for everyone. Others may have a rather different agenda. But most, by staring into the abyss of human emotions and actions, have decided the end justifies the means. They are willing to do whatever they feel is necessary, use whomever the see as useful, to accomplish what they see as noble or necessary ends. The power they wield, like El Cid’s rapier shown above, is a two-edged sword. It can save and it can kill. Sometimes even the wielder cannot foresee the end of the ripples they cast in time. They own the federal power transferred from the states and developed to facilitate a superpower.

When I was growing up, I thought a state was just a name for a specific part of the US. I do not think I fully understood the meaning of “state” as a sovereign entity until I went to college. I suspect that distinction is lost on many people in the US. States are sovereign entities and, as part 1 of the series shows, were originally the dominant partner in the US governing construct. Over time and through a series of key events, the locus of power shifted from the states to the federal government. Today, the federal government dwarfs the states in power and the capability to enforce policies and laws.

The accrual of federal power and control is of itself neither good nor bad. Power is like a tool, it is amoral. Just as a knife can carve wood and create beautiful sculptures, it can murder. Therefore, the intent of those using power decides whether good or for ill comes from its use.

We have a curious situation now. Large states such as California and New York want to abolish the Electoral College. They say it does not reflect the popular balloting and the large states do not have the representation in the Electoral College they should have. Yet, on the other hand, some states have very interesting budgets that rely upon massive federal funding to support. Therefore, a citizen is West Virginia pays some of his or her income taxes to support the larger states with porous budgets. Now that would not happen without the 16^th Amendment. In effect, the citizen in West Virginia, who wants nothing to do with some of these policies, is forced to pay for California’s policies. It is a form of wealth transfer and taxation without representation.

These states are blue states and run by liberals with highly liberal programs that preceded some actions we see at the federal level. Therefore, in addition to the issue of wealth transfer, we may have a lab to see what can happen at the federal level. But the problem is one of scale. If the infection passes to the federal level, it can affect the entire country regardless of individual state desires and policies.

I apologize if the above sounds trite, but I think it is important. Our country has the symptoms of problems. But that is what we are doing—treating symptoms. There are good, well-meaning people engaging in these treatments. We have been executing them for 55+ years to little or no effect. That is why I suspect there is something deeper going on and treating symptoms does not cure the problem.

So, what can we do to prevent the infection? If we stay with the medical analogy, perhaps it is time to do a differential diagnosis. To do this, we need to look at the symptoms for sure, but also environmental conditions, culture, education, and frankly misapplication of power and programs.