Quote:
|
Originally Posted by warrenly
You see, where we differ is in the opinion that states really matter any more.
|
Yes, we do differ here. The idea of states is to impose a limitation on federal/centralized power. It is to allow for different subcultures to peacefully and cooperatively coexist under the protection of a federal government.
The trend has certainly been toward an increased centralization of decision making authority and I don't think it has been all bad, but I am not quite ready to just say to heck with it and say goodbye to the republic.
I also don't see how a land mass/population as large as the US could function without states. We could stop calling them states, but they would still be more managably sized chunks of land and people with a political structure of some sort. Now, we could argue that some of the NE states are so small that they ought to be merged into one, but that's my Wisconsin perspective, folks from the states that are just little dots on my map might feel differently.
Besides it's fun to make fun of the wacky liburul ideas coming from California (and ahnold) and making fun of the big hat/belt buckle wearing pseudo cowboys from Texas. And let's not forget the land of cheese and beer and Harleys, my homestate of Wisconsin.
Don't want to lose all that now do you?
Editted to add: Think of the current gay marriage debate, pot decrim/legalization and past national debates. To a large extent the momentum for social change has come from just a handful (or less) of states. A state resists the federal policy and the issue comes to a head with some sort of resolution following. How much of that would we lose if we got rid of states?