"States have successfully managed to persuade their subject populations that they themselves are the state, and therefore that any insult to the honor of the state is an insult to them as well, any questioning of its behavior or intentions a slap in their very own faces."
That's Tom Woods from his book, Real Dissent. It's something I thought about during this year's Fourth of July. I love this country but loathe the federal government. And I must admit: A (very) small part of me feels a little illogical about it. But it is a very small part of me. A moment's reflection shows there's no inconsistency. This country is great mostly because of its entrepreneurial spirit. The federal government has done tremendous harm to this spirit. Hence my polar affections for the country and its government.
And, in fact, anyone who doesn't hold such a view is illogical. If you love something, how can you love that which is trying to rip out and rape that something's heart and soul?
