One conformist friend who defends unions, schools, and taxes

I once had a conformist friend who bowed down to statism like it was his lord and savior. In reality, it siphoned what was left of his soul.

We’ve all got that one friend. Not the ideological firebrand who yells about “equity” or “justice” at every turn, but the quieter, steadier kind: the conformist loyalist.

He doesn’t question the system, nor does he even think the system needs questioning. Hell, he thinks the only problem with our crumbling institutions is that not enough of us are loyal to them.

I grew up with a guy like this. A borderline best friend at times. He wasn’t cruel or hostile, but he was relentlessly committed to the idea that the state knows best, whether it’s in the workplace, classroom, or town square.

Unapologetic union man

He’s an unapologetic union man, the type who still uses “scab” like it’s a moral category instead of a slur. Never mind that unions, like any cartel, exist to restrict choice, limit entry, and inflate costs, or that they stifle meritocracy in favor of seniority and politics.

And before anyone grills me on what I just said, I got a boatload of stories from primary sources to share in later deep dives. Anyway, to him, the union’s a sacred institution, and anyone who questions it’s a traitor to the working class.

It doesn’t matter that free association means the right not to join a union, or that some workers would happily negotiate for themselves or prefer flexible arrangements. To him, dissenters betray the tribe.

Public school evangelist

Then there’s the school issue. Not only is he committed to sending kids through the conveyor belt of state education, he’s outspoken in shaming anyone who resists the process. If you vote against a levy, no matter how bloated the budget, no matter how ineffective the results, he’ll call you out.

This is a true conformist’s mindset: Schools are “free,” so we must keep funding them, no questions asked. Never mind that public education has produced declining test scores, rampant indoctrination, and bureaucratic waste.

And never mind that alternatives exist, like homeschooling, private schooling, and community models. To him, if you don’t tithe to the system, you’re robbing children of their future.

Tax-and-revitalize myth

He’s also a major advocate of local “revitalization” through higher taxes and more government programs. You know the routine: raise money, build shiny new projects, hire more bureaucrats, and hope prosperity follows.

But here’s the kicker: Just across the river, my town revitalized without this approach. It cut red tape, relaxed oversight, and let voluntary cooperation and entrepreneurship do the heavy lifting.

Result? Real growth. Not top-down “revitalization” where government spends other people’s money on pet projects, but organic revitalization that actually lasts.

Yet the conformist friend can’t see it. He thinks authority must engineer growth, not freedom.

Why the conformist matters

This type of person is arguably more dangerous than the ideological activist. Activists burn bright, often too bright, and alienate people.

Conformists, though? They normalize the status quo and make state worship seem reasonable, even virtuous. They reinforce the idea that to question unions, schools, or taxes is to be a bad neighbor, a bad parent, or even a bad citizen.

The activist shouts, “Obey!” The conformist says, “Come on, it’s our civic duty.” One rules by fear, the other by shame. Both are tools of the same machine.

Breaking the spell

The irony is, my friend thinks he’s standing up for the “little guy.” But the very systems he defends—unions, schools, local bureaucracies—keep the little guy boxed in. They stifle competition, crush alternatives, and funnel human potential into narrow, state-approved channels.

The truth is simple: Revitalization doesn’t come from tax levies, education doesn’t come from bureaucrats, and prosperity doesn’t come from unions. They all come from individuals, like risk-takers, entrepreneurs, families, and communities, acting freely and voluntarily.

This guy may never see it. He’s too invested in the illusion of security that conformity offers.

But for those of us who know better? The lesson’s clear: The most powerful resistance isn’t against the loud ideologue; it’s against the quiet conformist who makes obedience look normal.

Enter the Aurora Village

That conformist friend would hate Aurora Village and its surrounding region, which is the setting of my libertarian young adult fantasy, Arcane Elemental Academy. 

Aurora’s got no public sector, and no local taxes. Private means fund everything and the society thrives. Sure, it’s got some secrets, maybe even dark secrets, since Arcane wouldn’t be a very good story if it didn’t.

Still, the way things are run in Aurora, where even local law enforcement’s privately funded, shows us an alternative system can work. Flawed? What isn’t flawed? Yet it can work, and you can visit Aurora in Book I of my Arcane Elemental Academy series, The Arcane Prophecy.