What can happen if and when a state government disobeys the federal government? Which is to fear more: your state goverment or the federal government when it comes to the creating and enforcing of new laws?
The feds are the lesser threat, IMO. States are generally the ones infringing on one's most essential rights, and the feds should (when not in Republican control) function to prevent that from happening. Of course, right now we have the federal government acting only in the interests of the Republican Party, without any regards for anything else at all, not even national security. And if you do decide to be a criminal, commit a federal crime. Federal prisons are supposed to be pretty decent and even safe, since (unlike state prisons) only a tiny percentage have a history of violence. All that just my opinion.
One problem for its proponents is that the "states rights" movement has been closely associated with racism, particularly in the last half of the 20th century. The right sought by the people of those states was the right to discriminate against black Americans, and they had no problems with being very public about that as the reason. The "states rights party" was specifically racist, and formed in response to specific anti-racist federal actions, such as the integration of the US Army. And we're not talking about "sort of" racists- we're talking dogs/firehoses/churchburning "stand in the doorway of the school" scale racists. If you've studied US history you probably know about the big controversy that erupted when Reagan goofed and said he was for "states rights." It was immediately regarded as an overtly racist comment. I'm not saying that there aren't very good reasons for states to be like true independent states. And I'm not saying that everyone or even anyone advocating it is racist. However, given the history of racist brutality and murder associated with states having those "states rights," as they very publicly called them, you're going to have a hard time selling that movement to anyone. What can happen if and when a state government disobeys the federal government? This.
To associate it with racism is simply a way proponents of big Federal government (mostly fascists) try to demean those who adhere to the Constitution. To say a state's rights should be minimalized or even abolished because of what happened in the past with racism is just idiotic. The two have nothing to do with one another, so to play the race card really doesn't work too well in support of your argument against state's rights.
Hmmm, now did the Patriot Act emerge from the State or Federal level? How about the Military Commissions Act and the John Warner Defense Authorization Act? Are you denying they were implemented at the Federal level, or are you denying that none of this poses a threat to a person's individual rights? Oh, and please, don't give me that Democrat/Republican bullshit. Most smart people aren't falling into that trap anymore. They know Hillary is every bit the fascist warmonger that Bush is, and that all this fascistic police state legislation will remain in place once she's elected. (We will likely see it all implemented with full-force with her in office.) Democrats, like Republicans, are so BRAINWASHED by party politics that Hillary could implement the same domestic and foreign policy as Bush (which she will), but the Democrats won't say anything, simply because she has a "D" next to her name. Funny how mass brainwashing works. Get the people into teams so they are arguing amongst themselves, instead of uniting against their common enemy. It's an old CON that has worked all throughout history, leading to the enslavement and death of countless millions.
Parts of USA-PATRIOT are bad, but it's no comparison at all. States Rights were used to enslave literally millions of people. It cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Even after slavery was ended, States Rights were used to prevent blacks from voting. States Rights were used to justify the use of teargas, dogs, firehoses, jail cells, and lynchings against those who argued that human beings have rights. Are you saying that racism has gone away? Or just that racists are good people that you trust? Or is there another mechanism to keep them from doing what they've always done when the feds get out of their way? I'm on break at work, so that's all I have time for at the moment...
What about those States that did not allow slavery at a time when the Federal government did? Should those States not have been allowed to out law slavery?
Depends on what you mean. Its a federal system, so if it is an area of a state's jurisdiction, nothing.
for anyone to want to abolish either state or federal gov't btr look back on history and realize why it is that the U.S. pioneered federalism in the first place. People in NY didn't want hicks in Georgia telling them what to do, but they both wanted to unify their economic and military powers, or some shit. Thats why we created states and a central government. Only thing I could say of opinion is that since FDR, federal government has expanded its role and power considerably. And while federal politicians may yield more "power" than state politicians, federal government can't just order states to do what they want. There are things called laws, the consititution, and the supreme court that says they can't.
look back at history once more...... going into the Civil War there were two sides as we all know, the north and the south. the north was characterized by big business/industry and the south was mainly farming. there are great advantages to big business to operate under a strong federal system but not so for the farmers in the south. when the federalists took over washington, the secession began. we all know how it ended up and we're living the results of that war today. since WW2 corporations have really come to power but since the Civil War they have gained many rights of individuals which is, in a word, wrong. 142 years after the Civil War we're seeing the fruits of that war and the federal system it supported. FDR was the last president of the people. during his campaign, he fought big business that was attempting to control the election through intimidation. it's still going on today but it's much more subtle.
