May 17, 2020
Federalism’s Latest Champion
By Dan Truitt
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/05/federalisms_latest_champion.html
The further left you go in your politics, the more in favor you are of central government control rather than the sharing of power that is enumerated in federalism. The same, by the way, holds true for the right -- the further right you go, the more in favor are you of central government control. Whether one calls it fascism or totalitarianism, right and left meet at their extremes. Both political philosophies taken to their furthest extreme advocate complete governmental control of your life, work, and movements. Historically, American presidents have occupied a mostly sensible position either slightly to the right or to the left of center during their tenures.
The reason for this is federalism. Dividing power is the best method for maintaining a sensible center. The left, most recently and notably represented by the Previous Occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, faults Donald Trump for “lack of a coherent national strategy” in addressing the knotty problem of what increasingly looks like sort of an “on purpose accident:” the coronavirus epidemic.
Of course. there is no coherent national strategy. Trump has made it clear that virus policy should be set by the states. He instinctively understands federalism’s wisdom. And states have differed widely in their response, depending on the political affiliation of their governors.
Those states in the sensible center, which happen to be mostly governed by Republicans, with a few Democrats thrown in, are maximizing human freedom while taking reasonable precautions to limit the virus’ spread.
Many Democrat governors, on the other hand, are unleashing their inner totalitarian in a virtual orgy of draconian diktats meant to completely control their unhappy constituents in the name of safety. I won’t go into details -- they stare you in the face every day through various news feeds.
There is a growing sense that not only are leftist governors and big-city mayors immensely enjoying their exercise of almost total power, but that they are willing to tank their local economies to lessen the likelihood of Trump’s re-election: “This is great! We tried for three years to railroad the guy out of office and he frustrates us at every turn, then this thing drops in our laps!” They figure the federal government will eventually bail them out. They shouldn’t. Figure, that is.
It’s outrageous almost beyond belief that a faction of this country would not only refuse to work in harmony for the common good, but actually work against the common good, causing acute financial hardship, and, in some cases death, in the process, just because it hates the president and wants to control us.
It’s as if they think we don’t see and understand what they are up to. A prediction: these and previous actions directed against this president during the last forty months will result in his landslide re-election.
And it is this president, Donald John Trump, I’ve come to praise. Like everyone else, my attitude towards DJT during the ’16 election cycle were variations of this five-word opinion a close friend delivered to me during the summer of 2016: “I don’t trust that guy.”
But, happily, my suspicions have been almost completely without foundation. Trump has been a good president, even a great one, all things being equal. Ronald Reagan was president when I was in my late twenties. It was changing then, becoming a lot less leftist in my worldview.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but in Reagan I was living through the tenure of a historically great president. I’m beginning to wonder if the same does not apply to the unlikely figure of Donald Trump. He not only has great instincts, but he has become, in record time, highly adept at moving the levers of power. Has he made mistakes? Oh yeah. Lots. But the general tenor of his tenure has been astoundingly positive for the welfare of the average American.
You sense a changed man in Trump: he’s no longer the grasping, greedy construction mogul. He’s now a man completely dedicated to the welfare of a country he loves with all his heart even to his financial detriment.
Equally importantly, he has taken on a news media that has bullied and belittled us -- Christians, conservatives, libertarians, patriots-the simple people -- for years.
“We’re on to you,” he admonished one reporter in a recent news conference. It’s so much fun to watch. The media still has no idea how to handle him. Trump has managed to bell the cat, and we all know now when the cat is coming, and what the cat is up to.
And now this epidemic. Were almost any president post-Reagan in charge during this crisis, one result would have been a big fat new federal agency: The Department of Epidemiology or some such. Trump refused this golden opportunity to expand the reach of the federal octopus, and simply said that each state must do what is best for its own welfare. This was an extraordinarily wise move. Federalism in action.
The laboratories of democracy went to work, and the results are there for all to see: The growing successes of states opening up their economies again (Florida, Georgia, Texas), and the utter misery of states strangling the freedom of its put-upon constituents (California, Washington, Michigan.)
I could be wrong, but it’s at least possible that we are in the midst of a historically great presidency. God bless and protect Donald J. Trump. He’s our champion, and deserves enormous credit, and our full-throated support, for his textbook exercise of constitutional federalism.
Federalism’s Latest Champion
By Dan Truitt
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/05/federalisms_latest_champion.html
The further left you go in your politics, the more in favor you are of central government control rather than the sharing of power that is enumerated in federalism. The same, by the way, holds true for the right -- the further right you go, the more in favor are you of central government control. Whether one calls it fascism or totalitarianism, right and left meet at their extremes. Both political philosophies taken to their furthest extreme advocate complete governmental control of your life, work, and movements. Historically, American presidents have occupied a mostly sensible position either slightly to the right or to the left of center during their tenures.
The reason for this is federalism. Dividing power is the best method for maintaining a sensible center. The left, most recently and notably represented by the Previous Occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, faults Donald Trump for “lack of a coherent national strategy” in addressing the knotty problem of what increasingly looks like sort of an “on purpose accident:” the coronavirus epidemic.
Of course. there is no coherent national strategy. Trump has made it clear that virus policy should be set by the states. He instinctively understands federalism’s wisdom. And states have differed widely in their response, depending on the political affiliation of their governors.
Those states in the sensible center, which happen to be mostly governed by Republicans, with a few Democrats thrown in, are maximizing human freedom while taking reasonable precautions to limit the virus’ spread.
Many Democrat governors, on the other hand, are unleashing their inner totalitarian in a virtual orgy of draconian diktats meant to completely control their unhappy constituents in the name of safety. I won’t go into details -- they stare you in the face every day through various news feeds.
There is a growing sense that not only are leftist governors and big-city mayors immensely enjoying their exercise of almost total power, but that they are willing to tank their local economies to lessen the likelihood of Trump’s re-election: “This is great! We tried for three years to railroad the guy out of office and he frustrates us at every turn, then this thing drops in our laps!” They figure the federal government will eventually bail them out. They shouldn’t. Figure, that is.
It’s outrageous almost beyond belief that a faction of this country would not only refuse to work in harmony for the common good, but actually work against the common good, causing acute financial hardship, and, in some cases death, in the process, just because it hates the president and wants to control us.
It’s as if they think we don’t see and understand what they are up to. A prediction: these and previous actions directed against this president during the last forty months will result in his landslide re-election.
And it is this president, Donald John Trump, I’ve come to praise. Like everyone else, my attitude towards DJT during the ’16 election cycle were variations of this five-word opinion a close friend delivered to me during the summer of 2016: “I don’t trust that guy.”
But, happily, my suspicions have been almost completely without foundation. Trump has been a good president, even a great one, all things being equal. Ronald Reagan was president when I was in my late twenties. It was changing then, becoming a lot less leftist in my worldview.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but in Reagan I was living through the tenure of a historically great president. I’m beginning to wonder if the same does not apply to the unlikely figure of Donald Trump. He not only has great instincts, but he has become, in record time, highly adept at moving the levers of power. Has he made mistakes? Oh yeah. Lots. But the general tenor of his tenure has been astoundingly positive for the welfare of the average American.
You sense a changed man in Trump: he’s no longer the grasping, greedy construction mogul. He’s now a man completely dedicated to the welfare of a country he loves with all his heart even to his financial detriment.
Equally importantly, he has taken on a news media that has bullied and belittled us -- Christians, conservatives, libertarians, patriots-the simple people -- for years.
“We’re on to you,” he admonished one reporter in a recent news conference. It’s so much fun to watch. The media still has no idea how to handle him. Trump has managed to bell the cat, and we all know now when the cat is coming, and what the cat is up to.
And now this epidemic. Were almost any president post-Reagan in charge during this crisis, one result would have been a big fat new federal agency: The Department of Epidemiology or some such. Trump refused this golden opportunity to expand the reach of the federal octopus, and simply said that each state must do what is best for its own welfare. This was an extraordinarily wise move. Federalism in action.
The laboratories of democracy went to work, and the results are there for all to see: The growing successes of states opening up their economies again (Florida, Georgia, Texas), and the utter misery of states strangling the freedom of its put-upon constituents (California, Washington, Michigan.)
I could be wrong, but it’s at least possible that we are in the midst of a historically great presidency. God bless and protect Donald J. Trump. He’s our champion, and deserves enormous credit, and our full-throated support, for his textbook exercise of constitutional federalism.