Will the resurrection of Federalism save this nation? Nope. I think the Great American Experiment proves one thing: it's impossible to design a principled method of government for a citizenry which is, by and large, without principles.
The other day I was watching a religious broadcast on TV. A group of pious ministers was discussing the Christian lifestyle. As an aside, one minister commented that he was able to survive for a time in NYC because he knew how to obtain "free" food by jamming a hat pin into a food vending machine enabling him to take the food without paying for it. A fellow minister in the group laughed and said he wished he had learned that trick when he was a poor student struggling to get through college.
If clergymen can't comprehend the inherent evil of theft,
why should a politician?
Ben Franklin said: "Only a virtuous people are capable
of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of
masters."
Were The Founders truly virtuous people? I don't know. I do
know that precious few Americans today understand the principle of private
property and even fewer practice the virtue of honesty. Our culture has
rationalized and legitimized theft by accepting and institutionalizing the
practice of robbing Peter to pay Paul -- a practice politicians adore and
Americans voted to create. The devolution in this nation from federalism to
nationalism only made this evil system more efficient.
