Federalism and the The Enigma of Why Liberals Despise it

Do you know what federalism is?

If America had more federalism, our nation would have far less festering hatred and division.

Under federalism, each of the 50 states devise their own laws, predicated upon their region’s prevailing beliefs and attitudes.

Yes, I know, this is a radical concept.

Hear me out. 

Each of these states’ laws would, of course, comply with the U.S. Constitution. The federal Constitution, under ideal conditions, is supposed to restrain what federal politicians and bureaucrats may do.

Don’t tell me the beliefs and standards of Vermont, for instance, would go over well in Alabama or Texas. 

This idea is so much better than the federal government setting a one-size fits all approach for all 50 states. 

LABORATORIES FOR DEMOCRACY

As explained in this video, under federalism, power is divided between a central national government and state or provincial governments. Certain powers belong to the national government and others belong to state governments.

Federal powers, for instance, can regulate trade between the states and/or declare war. States have their own police and run their own schools (or at least they’re supposed to, but it’s important to know that the United States does not have pure federalism now). 

The Founding Fathers envisioned states as laboratories for democracy. What works in one state might not work in another. Perhaps what works in one state might indeed work in another. Federalism allows for all states to experiment to discover what works best for them.

So, again, we don’t currently have pure federalism. 

The existence of Obamacare proves that. The federal law dictates a national standard for how the insurance industry must operate. 

Did Obamacare force your health insurance costs to skyrocket? Did you lose your preferred health insurance due to Obamacare? This is because new federal regulations increased the cost of doing business. 

Government bureaucrats and politicians in Washington, D.C. are stupid and disconnected from regular folks. So stupid and disconnected they don’t realize that when they impose costly new regulations on a business then the business has no other choice but to pass those costs down to customers.  

The government’s insurance regulations prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines. The government’s insurance regulations create monopolies. We all pay more and suffer consequently.

Under federalism, everybody could live according to their own values. A left-leaning person from Birmingham, Alabama, for instance, could relocate to California. Or, as is happening right now, conservatives from left-leaning states like Illinois and New York state are moving in droves to red states for more freedom and prosperity. 

But moving from a blue state to a red state can only get them so far. With every passing year, the long, greedy arm of the federal government grows longer and longer.

WHY DO LIBERALS OPPOSE FEDERALISM?

Under federalism, Donald Trump, as president, wouldn’t drive liberals’ collective blood pressures to spike, nor would he make their heads spin like Linda Blair’s. Liberals wouldn’t need crayons and coloring books to cope with Trump’s micro-aggressions.

Under federalism, Trump’s powers are more limited than what they are today. Under this system, a clear wall exists between the state and federal governments. Trump is more accountable to Congress. He cannot harm long-haired, smelly hippies. 

Federalism works to everyone’s mutual benefit, but the concept terrifies liberals, who make one ridiculous excuse after another to discourage it. They say it might send us back to Jim Crow. They say we might, once again, legalize slavery. 

Nonsense. The U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court already forbids such things. While we’re on that subject, hopefully, we’d have a Supreme Court that respects federalism.  

As the late, great Rush Limbaugh once said, if we had federalism then the people who run the blue states would have to erect something like the Berlin Wall to keep disaffected residents from leaving. 

Misery loves company. 

Perhaps that’s why liberals detest laboratories for democracy with such incredible fervor?

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