But he didn't say much about the state of the union, the ties that bind our 50 self-governing states into a single nation. But it's worth discussing whether the United States has more pluribus or greater unum today. Hidden in the president's remarks last night were some clues. Although American troops listened to last night's speech from bases in more foreign countries than ever before, our union is at peace with all of its neighbors. We count as allies more nations than at any time in the past.
Nuclear annihilation is no longer a half-hour away.
The 50 united states lack any serious external threat to their security or common defense. Without such a threat, there is less urgent need for the ties between Minnesota and, say, Mississippi. Furthermore, the president said, the federal government has removed itself from direct oversight of state welfare programs. Local governments are providing more services, federal authorities less. And federal taxes, as a portion of all taxes paid, declined again last year.