Armin
I suggest the fundamental principles of life and physics should be the same. They are not now. But, the hope in the essay is to use life, cosmology, and the small (QM) to deduce a single set of fundamental principles. Not analogy, but literally as far as the principles go. The analogy comes when we consider the fractal suggestion. For example, the fractal suggestion concludes that because the wave-particle duality and Schroedinger's cat are not seen in everyday life, they are false for the small as well. New phenomena that do not fit the model such as exists now point to new physics and perhaps new principles.
Another issue is that you seem to advocate a kind of confederacy in which the states enjoy a very high degree of autonomy as a replacement of the current political system of the US. While there are undoubtedly advantages to that kind of a structure, there are equally certain disadvantages. Another situation that comes to my mind is that in which industrial plants in one state cause some kind of pollution (possibly even hazardous to health) but the pollution does not affect citizens of that state but the neighboring one (say because it is located down-river). An impotent federal government and an inability to come to an agreement with each other could lead to collisions between the states including armed conflict.
I advocate a confederacy with the nation government providing the adjudication between state arguments.
"For instance, some kind of problems are simply to big for a state to handle on its own, and if each state is a quasi country on its own, problems can arise when one state is in possession of a critical natural resource (say water in the arid west) and has the autonomy to cut off other states, regardless of the consequences." Exactly. This situation exists now between nations with armies. Canadian rivers are coming into the US with high levels of pollution. If a state wants to cutoff resources from another state - let it. That state will only hurt itself by reduced revenue and some resources it needs may be cutoff. Remember, such states making bad decisions will lead to that state's collapse. I expect states to collapse and that other states will learn from that collapse. The difference is that now the Federal government must get everything right all the time or all states collapse. Will the people be harmed? Only if they also make poor choices. For example, Detroit made bad decisions with corruption. Those who couldn't get adequate support voted with their feet and left.
I didn't suggest that the nation government should be impotent. Where did you get that idea? I said the nation had the only military and adjudicated disputes. I think it implied that the adjudication has the gun behind it.
Actually, I think I know how you got that idea. People a so accustomed to running to the federal government for everything; they naturally assume if the federal government doesn't do it, it won't get done. Actually if the Federal government attempts it, it stand a higher chance of failure. I note the example of education.
I addressed another subtle problem. Suppose the Federal government has evidence with prediction success. The Federal government ignores such solutions if it is contrary to the political agenda of bigger government. This was my example of Friedman. The solution to the economic problem is known and proven. Yet, ......
There will be new problems. But with 50+states working on them, the solution is more likely to be found than if only one solution is working at the Federal level.