Scott Horton Show - Just the Interviews 7/7/25 Auron MacIntyre on Democracy, Empire and America’s Future
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Jul 8, 2025 
Auron MacIntyre, a columnist and author focused on political theory, dives deep into the failures of liberal democracies in his discussion. He explores the cost of empire and the implications of mass migration on cultural identity. The conversation touches on the impact of American foreign policy and critiques the neoconservative influence, particularly regarding the Iraq War. MacIntyre also emphasizes the need for decentralization and local governance to enhance freedoms, while addressing the tensions within the Republican Party over foreign allegiances.
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Democracy Centralizes State Power
- Democracy inherently tends to centralize power until it controls all societal functions, threatening individual liberty.
- Power struggles within democracies lead to growth of the state beyond constitutional limits, undermining freedom.
Localism Protects Freedom
- Large empires homogenize diverse peoples, destroying local cultures and detaching government from people's well-being.
- Localized governments better protect freedom by aligning governance with community values and culture.
Technology Enables Centralization
- Technological advances have enabled centralization of government, reducing the natural localism that guards liberty.
- Geopolitical realities drive states to centralize power to compete globally despite internal costs to freedom.
