Hyper-localism in politics has affected – and harmed – Whitewater and countless other small towns. The idea that there were better local standards on economics, open government, and politics than the best American standards was always a truly risible conceit. The best standards on these matters were always broad and wide. (See How Many Rights for Whitewater?, What Standards for Whitewater? and Methods, Standards, Goals.)
Anyone who ever said – and so many men in this city have said – that the goal of local politics was merely to place adults in the room underestimated the possibilities for politics and over-estimated his own importance.
I’ve long opposed hyper-local standards: they’re inferior to the best national ones, and have led to gross overspending, above-average local poverty, and overall economic stagnation in this small and beautiful city.
We are now in a time where it should be clear that political hyperlocalism is dead. Trumpism has nationalized politics, the way any bigoted authoritarianism gripping the federal government necessarily would. In truth, even before Trumpism, there has been a trend toward nationalization of our politics.
And yet, and yet – there are those who still cling to the idea that federal matters should be separate from local politics, as though national forces are somehow not influential to a city within that same nation. On the contrary, discussion should have a different focus. See The First & Last Questions.
And look, and look – this distinction between national and local was always a bad idea, but now it’s a delusional one, a false longing for a false past.
Hyper-localism always produced bad policy; in our time, it’s now also an abdication of moral responsibility. Shielding local Trumpist candidates from the scrutiny of their views only gives them an easier entry to power, after which they will afflict life in even the smallest cities and towns.
A proper League of Voters – composed either of men or women – should amount to something more than unwitting handmaidens of Trumpism.
No person should have prioritized local politics in 1925 Italy, 1939 Spain, or 1974 Chile. The issues there and then were national.
The issues before us now are national.