The term “federalism” is often misused in common discussion these days. I sometimes wonder if the term hasn’t been intentionally twisted to fit the current agenda. Once, “gay” meant happy and cheerful. Look what happened to that fine word. Federalism actually espouses the idea of separated powers between local governments and a strong, centralized government. To better understand the term, think of a federation of states or even a confederation. The term “nationalist” would be the accurate term for the path on which we find ourselves today. A nationalist philosophy is one believed to be the answer for all of our problems by centralizing all legislative and regulatory powers into one authority. You will note that most leftists and liberals have no objection to a super, centralized government with virtually unrestricted powers over everyone and everything. These same folks, when asked how much government is enough, will never give a clear answer. This is because they don’t want you to know how they actually feel on the subject. By and large, they don’t want the Great Unwashed (You know, those folks actually doing the tax paying, raising families, building roads and taking out the garbage…you know, those working for a living) making any policy, social or economic decisions in our land. The historic problem with this approach is: As power becomes more and more centralized, fewer and fewer people are able to exercise the power of self determination. Leftists have no beef with large cumbersome bureaucracies. The fact that they are unwieldy and slow to act gives those of that mindset comfort thinking they will never fall under the prosecutive hammer of that same cherished, supposedly beneficent power structure. As time goes by, the large structure itself looses those powers of legislation and regulation so willingly abdicated by the citizenry and eventually becomes the strong arm (enforcement…can we say Gestapo?) of the few policy makers in control. Why do you think what arose in Germany after World War 1 was called the National Socialist Workers' Party? We see how that fine idea worked out. History proves the inherent fallacies in the nationalist mindset. It is up to us to remember those bloody lessons learned and stand in the way of what so many these days believe is the answer to all of our needs…nationalism.
