Harold Thomas, who runs the
Ohio Republic web site, has written a book that outlines the whys and hows of downsized, people-scaled government. More importantly,
Governing Ourselves reminds us of what the Founders established, and zeroes in on how and where we've failed to nurture that legacy.
This is a book grounded in specifics. Instead of imagining a small-government utopia that somehow rises from the ashes of the DC Empire, Thomas shares his vision of how the eternal problems of individuals and communities can be addressed without an oversized, omnipotent central government.
The free society Thomas sees arising in a post-Leviathan America is described through the examples of three couples of the near-future, as well as that of a small businessman, a banker with "over one million silver dollars" in assets. Families and communities will look to networks of private organizations, churches, and local government to provide opportunities for individuals to solve problems and better their lives.
In Thomas' libertarian future, big government and big business are no longer problems, not because of secession or revolution, but because they have collapsed, apparently from overstretch. Industrialized "big Ag" industrial farms no longer put small family farms out of business because of "fines for environmental violations" and high fuel costs.
To keep it all real, Thomas points out present-day examples to bolster his case. For example, he argues that existing large cities can devolve to local control through a system similar to the arrondissements (departments) of Paris, each of which has its own mayor and council.
One possible objection to Thomas' libertarian approach to small government is that culture has historically determined the size and scope of government, and that libertarianism, which focuses on individual liberty, thereby de-emphasizing (ignoring?) cultural concerns, is not practical. An additional objection is that big government encourages the atomization of society into a random collection of individuals in order to deter its subject population from organizing opposition. The libertarian ideal of autonomous individuals, say such critics, would only play into the hands of big government.
Thomas does argue, however, that individuals will voluntarily cluster around culturally compatible communities. For example, those who want a socially conservative society that prohibits drugs and abortion can choose to live in such an area.
Governing Ourselves is a useful polemic stressing a Christian libertarian approach to government. It addresses many potential objections to downsized government. We've all encountered critics who claim that without the federal government, many social goods will vanish. Thomas argues that equal opportunity, ensuring the quality of food and drugs, and the threat of terrorism can be better addressed at the local level.
Governing Ourselves is a practical introduction to the local and state sovereignty movement, providing theoretical background from mostly familiar sources, such as the Founders. Harold Thomas has given us a highly readable and useful resource for liberty activists.
Governing Ourselves can by ordered by clicking
here.
