The Task of Transitioning Away from Political Centralisation in Neo-Occidental Societies

How to unscramble the centralising government tendencies of the neo-occident?

Put aside for a moment the debate about whether it should or should be done, and simply consider the challenges associated removing reliance and dependence of the population upon government for employment, arbitration or support:

First of all, there are the socio-political challenges: There is myriad legislation, regulation, and various administrative and legal structures that have been built over the last fifty odd years such that the common folk has become increasingly dependant upon the service provision, support, arbitration and/or reconciliation provided by the government. These political and legal structures do not lend themselves to unscrambling the centralised egg. People have become largely dependant upon government. And without overwhelming fear or euphoria associated with the overcoming of some great oppression, they are, for all intents and purposes, too scared to alter the status quo, to roll the dice, for fear that their lot will come up wanting more than before.

Which leads into the second problem, socio-cultural challenges. From a cultural perspective, it has become the norm to view government in a sort of paternalistic, enabling sort of manner. Imagine waking up tomorrow and telling your friends and family that they are on their own, that the government is no longer there to provide intimate support, or advice on how they should live their lives. That the expectation of the government is that the populous ‘keep their hands off one another’ (as we expect toddlers to do), and ensure that one ‘does no harm’, and they provide punishment to those who do break this social contract. And that is all. Culturally it’s almost incomprehensible. Think and act for myself? on my own? what?

Which then raises the third problem, the socio-economic. As you might probably be aware, a significant portion of contemporary Neo-Occidental countries GDP spending is largely made up by Government spending. This includes employing a significant portion of the population directly. But then there is indirect employment through the granting of concessions for ‘big business’ to enter, on the proviso that those businesses provide X number of jobs? The case could easily be made that many contemporary neo-occidental states are thinly veiled oligarchies, or corporatocracies. Where the population is kept ‘happy’ with the provision of employment, so that they may whittle away their lives in contentment, while the real power brokers go about their business. Imagine a world where government no longer provided bones to these dogs? Imagine a world where government jobs became largely non-existent. And people had to begin working for themselves again. By providing valuable and meaningful services to one another.

It will be a significant challenge to knock the modern neo-occident dweller off the proverbial government teat. But, with enough political will, and sufficient socio-cultural appetite, it can be done.

Should it be done? That’s another question entirely.