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Comment by throw0101c | Hacker News Reader

> This is what makes the country free and prosperous-- it was conceived under conditions that make centralization of power extremely difficult.

Tell that to the Republicans in Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court.

And the Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitary_executive_theory

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The surface level reading of history is that everyone always agreed centralization of power is bad and operated in a gentlemanly way to further this principle, until Trump came along. But that's not the case at all. In the two parts of American history where I read more or less deeply (early republic and civil war), the factions bitterly vied for absolute power but were prevented from getting it through intangible American magic.

>"through intangible American magic"

What is this statement even appealing to, and what are you getting at by saying it?

That America works and keeps working for reasons nobody understands. We seem to make a ton of mistakes, and often act in the same way as far less successful countries do, but somehow keep coming out on top. It often feels like our success is despite our actions, not because of them. That's what I mean by "intangible American magic".

That’s almost the textbook definition of American exceptionalism.

I didn’t say that. There’s been a few. Wilson, FDR, Jackson come to mind.

Trump is unique in that the previous folks predated the massive standing army and propaganda capabilities that exist today. The intangible magic is brave individuals and institutions. It’s harder for those individuals with the secret police and army running around.

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