NSmolenskiFan on Nostr: Good question. I would say no—the case study suggests that interest groups will ...

Good question. I would say no—the case study suggests that interest groups will inevitably mobilize to capture loci of power (especially the state) for their own ends. This is similar to regulatory capture by established corporations, which is what transforms free markets into crony capitalism.

The main countervailing force to capture of the state by interest groups is the character of the people—the values that they hold dear. It is the people who have to continually be the site of resistance to capture—to say no, to enforce limits on government power, and to remind everyone of the values of nondiscrimination and equality before the law. This means a literate, aware population that does not trust power *as such.* A people who are not asking to be lied to if it means their “tribe” gets to win this time.

Ultimately this comes down to how we raise children—education writ large. The future of a free country is established in families and elementary schools. If those places become sites of tribal indoctrination and culture war, the seeds are sown for a violent and illiberal future.