In the US, "state's rights" has a somewhat bad reputation based on the support of "states righters" for Jim Crow segregation, and, going back a century or so, slavery.
Putting all that to the side, the body of law that delineates the respective powers of the states and the federal government is called "federalism", and in the US it is far from moribund, especially these days, especially this Supreme Court. Federalism is alive and well, and has nothing to do with Jim Crow or slavery.
I get a strong sense of deja vu all over again watching the interactions of France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, et al, as they try to figure out how to -- this is essentially all the EU was meant to do -- harmonize their currencies, coordinate national economic policy, and set aside trade barriers.
Very interesting object lesson in "what does it mean to be a nation," and glad it's not me going through it. |
