We should also never forget another pillar of our democracy: The ability of the United States government to transfer power and negotiate legislative differences in a peaceful and orderly fashion (the one notable exception in our history being the bloody Civil War).
Yeah, that was a very notable exception, Josh. 600K dead, half the nation in ruins, and I’ve never been convinced the right side won.
But my principal objection to your thesis doesn’t have to do with the exception, but with the rule. It’s easy, you know, to ‘negotiate legislative differences’ when both sides are in agreement on everything but whose turn it is to hold the gavel. I don’t really see where they’re ‘transferring power’ at all – it always involves the same bunch of idiots.
Ah, but it’s the exception that brings the data point that counts. Let’s ignore the fact that no other society abolished slavery by making 10% of its military age population casualty of war.
Rather, the key to they War Between the States was establishing the principle that exit is not a viable strategy, i.e. winner take all for the ever increasing ratchet of government control.
You state my case better than I did.