1) Power comes from the people. It is centered in churches, families, and limited local city governments.
2) Power comes from the government. The federal government has the most power and the power decreases all the way down to the local level, which has the least power.
The second group, obviously, has become richer and more powerful. It has also done a good job of capturing the minds of the richest and smartest people in the country, who have been convinced that problems require government solutions.
There are a lot of people who don't accept these sorts of things, but they're called racists, white nationalists, nazis, and all other sorts of horrible (and usually illogical) things. To people who aren't politically active or don't have a good understanding of political philosophy, these accusations are very effective.
"What you oppose a national list of people who are standing in the way of our great society? What are you a nazi?" etc.
I’d love an example of a person from the first group who was called a white nationalist because they think power comes from the people and not the government.
The Nazi flag was there because somebody was calling Trudeau a nazi. As in: the thing they were there protesting they thought was similar to Nazism, and they think that is a bad thing which is why they are there protesting.
There was as far as I can tell one instance of somebody doing this, and they were immediately denounced and told to stop. I agree, btw. Trudeau is an authoritarian, but he isn't a Nazi.
The problem I have with #1 is always “churches”. They are very powerful institutions and have disproportionate leverage wherever the government doesn’t step in. E.g. Catholic hospitals that won’t prescribe birth control.
Government, for better or worse, is secular. I don’t have to be concerned that I am subject to the rules of someone else’s faith when I need help from an organization larger than myself.
Are you sure? How much US Senators are openly atheists? I was shocked about 5 years ago, when I learned, that (about 5 years ago) answer was two. Yes. Two.
Look at anti-abortion laws in USA: they are all religious-based!
And it is not only USA. Poland. Russia. Greece. Some places in Germany. Not to mention Iran, Afghanistan, UAE, Qatar, Yemen...
If you’re down on your luck, participation in an organization willing to support you is not voluntary. Right now, if you need help in America, your options are either the government or faith-based organizations.
I know from experience, I’m just getting back on my feet after my own run of bad luck.
I’m not in love with the government by any means. It is inefficient and incentivizes corruption. If all the money that moved through faith-based organizations instead moved through secular organizations, I would be interested in “small government” reforms.
1) Power comes from the people. It is centered in churches, families, and limited local city governments.
2) Power comes from the government. The federal government has the most power and the power decreases all the way down to the local level, which has the least power.
The second group, obviously, has become richer and more powerful. It has also done a good job of capturing the minds of the richest and smartest people in the country, who have been convinced that problems require government solutions.
There are a lot of people who don't accept these sorts of things, but they're called racists, white nationalists, nazis, and all other sorts of horrible (and usually illogical) things. To people who aren't politically active or don't have a good understanding of political philosophy, these accusations are very effective.
"What you oppose a national list of people who are standing in the way of our great society? What are you a nazi?" etc.