Ludwig: Well, I have major problems with a system of strong central governance because it lends itself to massive abuse. Besides which, I don't believe it's the right of anyone to make decisions for another, to prescribe morality in other words. Once you start trying to talk about the public good or utilitarian concepts, at best you'll end up with a country like Singapore, at worst, a country like China, Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union. After all, what's in the public good? The environment? Housing prices? Censorship? National service? Abortion (eg. a one child policy; or conversely, a populate or perish policy)? Sexuality in general? Just where should we draw the line that says government does or doesn't have a right to interfere in a particular area of our lives? An argument can be put forward for any area of our lives that it somehow has wider ramifications for society and our own individual selfishness stops us from seeing that. Ironically, strongly centralised governments tend to be most beholden to conservative ideologies (at least on social issues) and/or those with money as the most important goal.

Also, you're assuming that politicians are somehow like the fabled enlightened despots. They're anything but such things, partly because they're human, partly because they're extremely ambitious and ruthless humans, and partly because centralising power in their hands and allowing blanket policies ignores the thousands or millions of intricate needs of diverse communities and individuals.

No, things may often be a bit of organised chaos in this country, but we'll ultimately sort any problems out that we have simply because we have to in order to survive. Just as the left want government to step in and take control to prevent environmental decay, the right want government to step in and stop moral decay from single mothers, sexually explicit television, etc. Yet it's because our culture has traditionally had less government involvement that we've avoided the problems endemic to regions that have had very strong government, and the extreme swings (often with much bloodshed) that are part and parcel of such systems.