[quantumBerry]

>Easily half the states demonstrated that they could not be trusted to run their own affairs and protect the rights of the citizens enshrined in the Constitution.

So instead we have a more centralized federal government that cannot be trusted to protect the rights of the citizens enshrined in the Constitution ( that same post civil war government interned the Japanese, allows police to search any vehicle with the "signal" of a dog, and instead of enslaving blacks just disproportionately tosses them to wither away in prison instead. Instead of enslaving brown people here, now our kinder gentler federal government just blow them up in foreign countries instead. )

>The reinterpretation of the Constitution that occurred during the Great Depression granted the federal government the authority to regulate commerce within States under the interstate commerce clause. This authority drives everything from farm subsidies to drug regulation.

That's the first time I've seen the war on drugs used to justify the centralization of power. I suppose we need a new civil war against the "untrustworthy" states that have legalized marijuana so affairs can be run the right way.

It's pretty "reasonable" to believe the federal government DOESN't need the authority they currently have.

[shadowgovt]

You make an excellent point regarding federal drug law as it relates to state-by-state legalization. It's fascinating that here we have a case of the executive blatantly refusing to enforce the law, but Congress also blatantly failing to press the issue (which they could) because they know doing so would be incredibly unpopular... But at the same time, refraining from codifying that policy into law, because doing so would be incredibly unpopular with the percentage of the electorate that still believes marijuana should be illegal.

It's weird to watch.

[macintux]

> that same post civil war government interned the Japanese, allows police to search any vehicle with the "signal" of a dog, and instead of enslaving blacks just disproportionately tosses them to wither away in prison instead. Instead of enslaving brown people here, now our kinder gentler federal government just blow them up in foreign countries instead.

I would say the 1st and last examples are examples of the federal government making a very bad call. The others are primarily the fault of local governments.