The Real Reason They Hate Federalism: Decentralization is Their Worst Nightmare
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There are few things that cause our ruling class to break into a cold sweat, and I assure you, none of them have anything to do with the American voter. They don’t fear losing elections (they will still be paid), they don’0t fear being exposed (they know no shame), and they don’t fear the wrath of the people (they have agencies for that). What they do fear, however, is a return to federalism—a return to the very structure of governance that made America a republic rather than a playground for bureaucrats and lobbyists.
Federalism, for those whose civics education was overseen by a tenured progressive who informed you that James Madison was a white supremacist, is the idea that power should be divided between the states and the federal government. The Founders, in their almost supernatural foresight, understood that centralized power is inherently corrupting and that the only way to prevent the rise of a distant, unaccountable ruling class was to ensure that individual states had the ability to govern themselves. This, of course, lasted all of about five minutes before Washington decided it would be much easier if the states just did as they were told.
Today, the federal government treats state sovereignty like an annoying little sibling: tolerated in small doses, patronized when convenient, and swiftly punished when it dares to assert independence. But why? Why does Washington despise federalism so much? Why do politicians, bureaucrats, and media lackeys recoil in horror at the mere suggestion that different states might govern differently? The answer, as always, is simple: power.
Centralization: The Essential Tool of the Ruling Class
The entire function of Washington, D.C. is to consolidate power while pretending to disperse it. Congress, that venerable gathering of careerist charlatans, will wax poetic about "state rights" when it suits them, and then, without skipping a beat, pass legislation that neuters those same rights if they ever become a problem. Your representatives—with a few exceptions—tend to favor federal power rather than your own states interest. They’ll say the line about their state, but for the most part they rely on their own interest which itself is tied to their phony baloney jobs in DC.
Consider, for example, how the ruling class reacts when a Republican governor decides to govern in a manner inconsistent with progressive orthodoxy. The moment Ron DeSantis challenged federal COVID mandates and refused to let his state be turned into a biomedical surveillance zone, the full weight of the federal government came down upon him. Trump threatened punishment to states that didn’t abide, but the Biden administration, in what can only be described as an attempt at economic extortion, began floating the idea of restricting federal funds to states that did not comply with its public health diktats. This was not about science. This was about ensuring that no governor, no state, and no community could operate outside the boundaries of Washington's authority.
When California defies federal law—whether on immigration, drug policy, or any other fashionable left-wing cause—it's hailed as "bold" and "progressive." When Florida does the same in the other direction, it is cast as "dangerous," "radical," or, the greatest sin of all, "anti-democratic."
The lesson here is obvious: centralization is not about governance; it’s about control. They do not care whether states have power. They care whether states use that power in ways they can’t dictate.