Why is "state rights" associated with the right-wing in America?

[Smith_3]

That is something I don't fully understand. To me "right-wing" is intimately connected to the concepts of nationalism and imperialism and therefore kind of implies "strong centralized leadership".

"State rights" or rather the concept of local self-governance seems to me to be the antithesis of such centralized leadership, and therefore not per-se connected to the right-wing.

However I understand that in the United States it is usually the same people who believe in imperialism and nationalism that are pushing "state rights". Doesn't really make alot of sense to me.

[AspenRose]

1. Civil War.

Slavery.

Jim Crow Laws.

Miscegenation Laws.

[blogslut]

2. It's a racist buzz-word term

Originated when the civil rights amendment was introduced by LBJ.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Another thing I don't understand about right-wing Americans.....

They pretend to be the ultimate flag-waving patriots, but are quick to talk of secession from the United States.

Weird.

[laconicsax]

12. Think about it this way.

Conservatism is based on a perpetual revision of history--the notion that things were way better in the past. To maintain this, they have to compartmentalize their thinking.

The more compartmentalized a persons mind becomes, the more contradictory things they can believe to be true. A sufficiently compartmentalized mind can believe just about anything.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

14. Exactly. Change comes first at state level and then federal. Rather than change,

states scream "State's Rights!" So they can remain as they are and preserve the status quo.

[Caliman73]

22. Things were better in the past...from a racist White male perspective.

The inherent "superiority" and dominance of White males was not directly and openly challenged until the mid 1950's and did not really get into full swing until the 60's and 70's. That people of color were demanding and obtaining even some small measure of equality was terrifying to those who think that Whites are better. The "states rights" movement dovetailed with the events of the 50's and 60's and stuck to the Southern Dixiecrats and other ultra conservatives who became the GOP because they fought to keep the new Federal Laws against discrimination from taking effect. They claimed that each state had a right to treat it's inhabitants as they saw fit, even if it meant denying fundamental human rights to those people they hated. If you look at any White Supremacist information, they always talk about how they are not free to take pride in their identity and that their survival is at stake. What they are really saying is that they do not like having the fallacy of White dominance challenged and that they are scared because their sense of self worth is completely tied up in being "better than". Conservatives are similar although less militant. They are looking back at a time when societal roles were more clearly defined and the status quo was not challenged. The reality is that society has been constantly evolving with periods of more and less repression of dissenting ideas.

[Cali_Democrat]

28. That is so well said.

You should make that an OP.

:thumbsup:

[WeDidIt]

4. Every time the Democrats hold the white house, the GOP screams state's rights

Every time a Republican holds the white house, criticism of ANYTHING the Republicans do is "unpatriotic" and "treason".

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Racism

It is nothing more or less

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. Because usually it's in connection with "States Rights" to Jim Crow, Slavery, Anti-Equal Rights or

Anti-Choice.

[Cali_Democrat]

8. Exactly. (nt)

[No More Bushbots]

7. Another thing I don't understand about right-wing Americans

They are all for spending money on stuff that will kill people, but yet they scream like stuck pigs about spending money on children's health care.
Weird.

[Lex]

19. And they scream about abortion being bad, but they don't want contraceptives

to be talked about or acknowledged in any way to high school kids.

[slackmaster]

9. That expression is code for slavery - States have powers, not rights

Only people have rights.

States have all the powers that were not delegated to the federal government. The people have all the rights that haven't been curtailed or infringed.

[jamesbolton]

10. I think it's more a regional thing...

rather than a political thing. It just so happens that the people in the areas that historically support state's rights are now right wing.

[mrcheerful]

11. Because america has a history of state rights vs human rights

remember before the civil war certain states were allowed to choose between slavery or slave free. After the civil war states were allowed to decide the fate of non white citizens. When republicons run the state rights bs pretty much its meaningless, except for a attempt at going back to segregation laws. Whenever the right talks about state rights you can count on laws being enacted to keep others from getting full citizen rights as in the bill of rights.

[Echo In Light]

13. No more logical than rightists/corporatists referring to Obama's admin as "fascist." Pot meet kettle

[ck4829]

15. Yeah, where were all those right wingers when the Republicans proposed a Federal Marriage Amendment?

Oh yeah, they were supporting it.

[Smith_3]

16. Thanks for all the replys.

I think I kind of understand it now.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

17. It also provides cover so you don't have to directly oppose legislation.

This has been used by Obama, for example. Rather than oppose DOMA or a Federal ban of Equal marriage rights because it's discriminatory, immoral and unethical, Obama supports "state's rights".

[Uncle Joe]

18. States rights are important and it's not just about slavery, states rights gives the Untied States

more flexibility in adapting to changing conditions, but the right-wing doesn't really give a damn about States Rights, that's just a fig leaf for them to cover their naked lust for power.

Sort of like "the terrorists hate us for our freedom" B.S. line, it's just effective propaganda to the right wing.

States Rights didn't mean shit to them in Florida of 2000 or Minnesota today. They go whining to the federal court because it's packed with their sympathizers to overturn the will of the people from those states.

They only use that argument as a means of brain washing the American People, because in most cases people relate to their local environs first. It's like some guy said "all politics are local" and that's the mentality the right-wing along with their corporate media propaganda machine have played against the people. It's just divide and conquer strategy because if the American People stay united, the right wing's ideology of "leave no billionaire behind" has no chance of standing and by that measure, they have some allies in the Democratic Party as well.

[Coffee and Cake]

20. It hasn't always been this way.

Jefferson was one of the earliest proponents for state rights since he thought common people were capable of governing themselves, while his "antagonist", Hamilton, thought common people were not capable of governing themselves and need to be governed by aristocracy.

Then there was a movement in the 20th century to push for more state rights, sometimes from people (Dixiecrats) who wanted to use state rights arguments to support segregation in the south.

Then Goldwater came onto the scene, championing state rights once again, not to promote segregation, but to promote the philosophy of many of our Founding Fathers--that state's and their citizens should be sovereign, not an all-powerful central government. It was based on a bottoms up democracy and the idea that it would create a more responsive government for the people.

Unfortunately, this did attract segregationists, but Goldwater ended racial segregation in his family department stores, and he was instrumental in ending it in Phoenix schools, restaurants, and in the Arizona National Guard. He voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act, since he was a strict Constitutionalist and defending the 10th Amendment.

The Goldwater Revolution, was eventually embraced by Republicans, but to be ultimately perverted by the religious right and big government conservatives.

State Rights is essentially a liberal philosophy.

[X_Digger]

24. +1 I always think of federalists vs republicanists when someone says states' powers. n/t

[pampango]

21. The only time I remember the left wing using "states rights" here was with regards to

support for anti-war state governments trying to keep Bush from sending their National Guard units sent to Iraq and Afghanistan when they should be under the control of the state governments. Also, didn't it come up with regard to federal efforts, again under Bush, to keep the states from legalizing gay marriage within their own states and the left arguing that states should have that right (at least if the federal government won't do it).

Other than those - which is like 99.9% of the time "states rights" does belong to conservatives.

[bluesbassman]

23. In RW terms, "states rights" equates to "I got mine".

I would venture a guess that the majority of everyday citizens who tout states rights have absolutely no clue what it really means, and that is what Faux New, Limbaugh, Beck, et.al. are counting on. It's just another propaganda tool to whip the base up.

[anonymous171]

25. The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968. nt

[valerief]

26. During their mid-90s Contract On America campaign, all they talked about

were states rights.

[Still Sensible]

27. Like everything in their creed, it is selective

They want states rights when the federal government is doing something they don't like...
They want to keep the government out of peoples' lives, unless they want to force their morality on everybody.
It is actually quite consistent with their ongoing bullshit.

[Duer 157099]

29. Except in California when it's about medical marijuana n/t

[Arugula Latte]

30. It's a way of saying: "We think states should be allowed to have legal slavery!"