AS (the) regular reader(s?) of this effort know(s) (Hi, Mom!) last time I offered some background material on comments by Pat Buchanan regarding the crisis facing the USA, and what might happen. Pat sees no reason why the states should stay together, if the current trends continue. In essence his argument is---at least I think that it is---that the Federal Government is becoming more controlling, more oppressive and less efficient. There are already signs of a types legal defiance and revolution. A large number of states have filed lawsuits to be free of the federal health care mandates.
Contrary to Pat alarmism, the states will hang together for two major reasons. The first is the force of fashion. Fashion, literally doing things in a certain accepted way, is THE strongest force influencing humans. Fashions often come from tradition, and traditions become stronger the longer they function.
The second reason is related to tradition, and is the same what kept the Roman Empire intact for longer than justified. This force is something that I shall call the “money source delusion.” Towards the end of the Western Empire the army became mostly barbarians (literally, not Latin or Greek speakers). They recognized that the empire had advantages, one being a steady employer. That is, the barbarian soldiers provided the force for the emperors to enforce imperial decrees. One of these, of course, was to collect taxes. So the army collected taxes, and some of these taxes went to pay the barbarian army, which otherwise had no traditional loyalty to the empire.
Then some barbarian leader noticed that there was a middle man expense. The taxes were sent to the capital. Then the emperor kept some, to maintain the court and government, and paid out some of the rest to the army. Without an official empire, they could keep the money themselves. And this is what happened, finally. The last barbarian army commander sent the last emperor to a monastery, and declared himself king of Italy. The Western Empire ceased to exist and the money went directly to the king.
However, until this happened the power of fashion (i.e. traditional ways of doing things) caused the empire to remain in existence as a political unit, even though it had no real inherent strength. The money cycle acted as a bloodstream. The same process is going on with the USA. The undeniable reality is that the federal revenue comes from the states. I am ignoring the simple printing of money for the sake of simplicity. So when Louisiana gets “federal” relief funds because of flooding the money came from Louisiana, and other states. It SEEMS as if this state is gaining (i.e. getting something for free), because the relief money is distinct and given within a short period of time. However, when Oklahoma needs federal funds, some of them come from Louisiana. The money comes from those to whom it is then given (back).
In other words the states are, in essence, paying themselves, and paying bureaucrats to process the payments. The money is earned by the residents of various states, and then sent to Washington, and then sent back to the states. The states are in a type of game where each tries to get more back than was sent in.
Hardly anyone notices this. No candidate attacks the system. Fashion is too strong a force to be overcome by mere rationality. And most Americans are not very smart. What we need are some realistically minded barbarians. Unfortunately the residents on the nations on our borders are as silly as residents of the USA. Pat can sleep well. The American Empire will outlast all of us.
On a separate matter you may wish to visit the following site. In it Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde comment on: the use of history; lying; miracles; among many other subjects. The site is updated frequently. http://wildeandtwain.blogspot.com/
There are times sir, like with this column and your comments about 'Fashion', when I am reminded of Blaise Pascal. In my book, that is high praise indeed. (you'll have to forgive me-and him-for being something of a Jansenist) Good Work once more.
Posted by: Chris Perry | March 21, 2012 at 02:00 AM