What role and size do you believe should government play in your life?

The Government should be as small as possible.

There are three areas in which the Govenment should intervene.

1) The defence of the country.
2) The wellbeing of the people.
3) The regulation of trade.

The Government should be as small as possible.

There are three areas in which the Govenment should intervene.

1) The defence of the country.
2) The wellbeing of the people.
3) The regulation of trade.

Oh, quite a bit then really!

"The well being of the people."  That could anything up to and including a government agent to brush your teeth and tuck you into bed!
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Oh, quite a bit then really!

"The well being of the people."  That could anything up to and including a government agent to brush your teeth and tuck you into bed!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/11/brushteeth.gif http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/11/brave.gif


True point. Let me clarify.

There are a few things I don't mind the Government being involved in. For instance, health care. Health-Care really shouldn't be a business, it should be an obligation.
Although I think the system needs overhauling I also believe the Government should be active in helping people find employment if they're unable to do so themselves.

True point. Let me clarify.

There are a few things I don't mind the Government being involved in. For instance, health care. Health-Care really shouldn't be a business, it should be an obligation.
Although I think the system needs overhauling I also believe the Government should be active in helping people find employment if they're unable to do so themselves.


What about those that are "unwilling" to find employment themselves??  There are a good many of them around as well.....

What about those that are "unwilling" to find employment themselves??  There are a good many of them around as well.....


I'm of the opinion that everyone deserves a chance. If you're not willing to seek employment then I feel employment can be found for you. Cleaning grafitti, carting corpses, cleaning up after cullings etc.

I'm of the opinion that everyone deserves a chance. If you're not willing to seek employment then I feel employment can be found for you. Cleaning grafitti, carting corpses, cleaning up after cullings etc.


That may be the incentive required to get them off the couch and start looking on their own...find the dirtiest nastiest job out there and have them do it, or go out on their own and find something that pleases them.............

That may be the incentive required to get them off the couch and start looking on their own...find the dirtiest nastiest job out there and have them do it, or go out on their own and find something that pleases them.............


Exactly.

I mean.. I'm not even viewing it as a punishment. If they are having such a hard time finding a job.. then for sure they'll be really grateful that one is being provided.  ;) Somebody has to clean the sewers.

What about those that are "unwilling" to find employment themselves??  There are a good many of them around as well.....

Not as many as the right-wing would like us to think. 

ReichStar makes a good point.  There is no shortage of things to do to better society.  I believe in incentive and reward for working, not some kind of gulag mentality.

"WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed..."  Governments must be of, by and for the people.  The principle that the welfare of the people is always more important than the accumulation of things and wealth, must be the guiding principle of the government.

It's unfortunate that the United States of America has evolved so far from these ideas and this principle since it's founding.

"WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed..."  Governments must be of, by and for the people.  The principle that the welfare of the people is always more important than the accumulation of things and wealth, must be the guiding principle of the government.

It's unfortunate that the United States of America has evolved so far from these ideas and this principle since it's founding.


We hold these truths to be painfully self-evident. All men are not created equal, only the strong shall prosper, only the strong shall survive.

"WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed..."  Governments must be of, by and for the people.  The principle that the welfare of the people is always more important than the accumulation of things and wealth, must be the guiding principle of the government.

It's unfortunate that the United States of America has evolved so far from these ideas and this principle since it's founding.


  No freedom fries for you...

We hold these truths to be painfully self-evident. All men are not created equal, only the strong shall prosper, only the strong shall survive.


Tom,

We appreciate the candor, but this is not the marketing strategy we agreed on.  We look forward to your revision.
Say Hi to Sally and the kids for us.

--The editors

:D

"WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed..."  Governments must be of, by and for the people.  The principle that the welfare of the people is always more important than the accumulation of things and wealth, must be the guiding principle of the government.

It's unfortunate that the United States of America has evolved so far from these ideas and this principle since it's founding.



I'll see your Decleration and I will raise you the Constitution.  ;)


We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty, to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.


(I keep hearing Schoolhouse Rock in my head.  ;D ;D )



Cat

I'll see your Decleration and I will raise you the Constitution.  ;)


We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty, to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.


(I keep hearing Schoolhouse Rock in my head.  ;D ;D )

So the role of the US goverment is to provide:

Justice
Defense
Domestic Peace
Common Welfare
Insure Civil Rights




Cat

The federal government should serve the following functions:

1) national defense
2) providing basic healthcare to all citizens
3) regulating interstate commerce
4) border security
5) protecting the environment
6) protecting small businesses and consumers from the depredations of big business
7) protecting the rights of all citizens
8) helping society to move away from foreign oil dependency

Most social policies should be left up to the states.

Well I see it divided into 3 catagories.

Common Defense - Military, National Guard, Police, Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and CDC, and even the National Weather Service
Common Enterprise - Economic Development and research (including NASA, Education, Infrastructure and Transportation, etc.
Common Welfare- Welfare, Social Security, National Healthcare, emergency services, PSA's, etc

In a lot of ways these groups not only effect each other but are interrelated. 

Pay for my drinks!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/drunken_smilie.gif

I think no matter where we live we all want the same from our governments. Like you all said...justice,security,welfare.

But to me what i really want is my government to realise is that they are there because of us. I want the government to be afraid of us and not the other way around. By living in Europe i've seen what happens when the ones in power fear their voters and if it's true that overthere they're not without problems i do believe they're way better off.

Western Europe is better off than us when it comes to social programs, but they're worse off when it comes to political correctness.

The governments over there may fear the people in general, but they REALLY fear the Muslims, and it would appear the average person does to a degree.  They really need to grow a pair in dealing with the extremist ones.

Western Europe is better off than us when it comes to social programs, but they're worse off when it comes to political correctness.

The governments over there may fear the people in general, but they REALLY fear the Muslims, and it would appear the average person does to a degree.  They really need to grow a pair in dealing with the extremist ones.


A pair of what? Devil horns? You think the US have been successful with their pair of big balls?
It's funny how even after all these years there are still people who think violence is an act of bravery ::)

A pair of what? Devil horns? You think the US have been successful with their pair of big balls?
It's funny how even after all these years there are still people who think violence is an act of bravery ::)


I'm definitely against the war in Iraq, but I'm talking about domestic policies.  There is a lot of appeasement going on in Europe when it comes to demands made by the more extreme Muslims.  Also, take a look at how cowed the Netherlands got by the Fitna movie.  They bent over backwards in expressing their desire to censor Wilders to minimize offending their Muslims.

I'm actually talking more about defending the freedom of speech and having a spine than having a pair of cojones.

I'm definitely against the war in Iraq, but I'm talking about domestic policies.  There is a lot of appeasement going on in Europe when it comes to demands made by the more extreme Muslims.  Also, take a look at how cowed the Netherlands got by the Fitna movie.  They bent over backwards in expressing their desire to censor Wilders to minimize offending their Muslims.

I'm actually talking more about defending the freedom of speech and having a spine than having a pair of cojones.



Exactly their muslims! 'Cause you see for their government before they're muslims they're dutch,french,british,spanish. You know how many muslims live in the US? Millions. Are they're not american? How do you think they feel when they're called terrorists because of their religion?

Oh and a spine...i'm sorry but your government lost it a long time ago :-\\

Exactly their muslims! 'Cause you see for their government before they're muslims they're dutch,french,british,spanish. You know how many muslims live in the US? Millions. Are they're not american? How do you think they feel when they're called terrorists because of their religion?

Oh and a spine...i'm sorry but your government lost it a long time ago :-\\


Touche on the last sentence.  But our people have a spine, unlike the Dutch apparently.

Touche on the last sentence.  But our people have a spine, unlike the Dutch apparently.


Ah ah,we need Henk in here!

I don't know,Mac. I really hope you can choose someone who will change it all around 'cause no country is perfect but when i hear so many americans so angry at their government all i can say is do something about it.

Ah ah,we need Henk in here!

I don't know,Mac. I really hope you can choose someone who will change it all around 'cause no country is perfect but when i hear so many americans so angry at their government all i can say is do something about it.


Yes, I know of Henk.  I'm sure he's a nice guy, but I just wasn't too impressed with the excuses he gave for his country's spinelessness.

Whatever the case, I would agree with you.  The problem is that Europe has the brains but America has the guts.  Europe is smart enough to set up its social programs properly and is smart enough to be secular, but America has the guts to tell extremist Muslims where to shove it when they demand silly things or when they act like animals whenever they are offended.  We need both brains and guts to be fully functional, which is why the world usually turns out better when America and Europe are working together.

And before anyone assumes I'm racist, I have no problem with normal and reformist Muslims.  It's the extremist and orthodox ones that piss me off.

What role and size do you believe should government play in your life?

Government should be significantly reduced. It should focus mainly on military matters.

In any other social aspect, individual freedom should be maximized whereas the role of the state should be minimized accordingly.

Government should be significantly reduced. It should focus mainly on military matters.

yeah, cuz they're doing a real bangup swell job so far.

In any other social aspect, individual freedom should be maximized whereas the role of the state should be minimized accordingly.

this is a recipe for lawlessness, anarchy and mass poverty. i think the bush administration has demonstrated clearly this "small government" bromide is a different way of saying let's not have anyone run anything, and let's just have a chaotic society in which everyone is just looking out for themselves. such a society will collapse very quickly, which is exactly what we've seen under the bush administration.

The federal government should serve the following functions:

1) national defense
2) providing basic healthcare to all citizens
3) regulating interstate commerce
4) border security
5) protecting the environment
6) protecting small businesses and consumers from the depredations of big business
7) protecting the rights of all citizens
8) helping society to move away from foreign oil dependency

Most social policies should be left up to the states.


Why should the FEDERAL governent het into healthcare?  Why can't the STATES handle that?

Why shou;d the FEDERAL government have the environmental responsibility?  I agree on Air pollution and interstate waterways where pollution crosses state borders.  But why should the FEDERAL goverment care if somebody builds a trash dump next to my house?

Why should ANY government prefer small businesses over big businesses (or vice versa)?  Note that some of the biggest business sleaze-balls are home improvement contractors and used car salesmen who are the quintessential small businessmen.

I am surprised that your list did not cede education to the feds too.  America's FEDERAL politicians seem to have a seething disregard for local and state governments when it comes to education.

Why should the FEDERAL governent het into healthcare?  Why can't the STATES handle that?

Ideally, the feds would set up a socialized healthcare system as only a transition phase.  Basically, give the states 10 years of transition to get their own programs started.

Why shou;d the FEDERAL government have the environmental responsibility?  I agree on Air pollution and interstate waterways where pollution crosses state borders.  But why should the FEDERAL goverment care if somebody builds a trash dump next to my house?

It's not a black and white issue.  As things currently stand, environmental protection is divided between federal, state and local agencies.  So, actually, it already kind of works the way you're hinting at.  I didn't mean ALL environmental protection should be federal.

Why should ANY government prefer small businesses over big businesses (or vice versa)?  Note that some of the biggest business sleaze-balls are home improvement contractors and used car salesmen who are the quintessential small businessmen.

An active effort must be made to protect small businesses, because currently, big businesses dominate government through supporting free trade no matter what the cost.  We need more protectionism, more tax breaks for small businesses, and no more corporate welfare at all.

I am surprised that your list did not cede education to the feds too.  America's FEDERAL politicians seem to have a seething disregard for local and state governments when it comes to education.


Education is a different animal.  I would agree that the feds like to get involved in that, but personally, I think the only role the feds should have in education is providing student loans.

I'll see your Decleration and I will raise you the Constitution.  ;)


We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty, to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.


(I keep hearing Schoolhouse Rock in my head.  ;D ;D )



Cat


Maybe everyone in the Government should watch "Schoolhouse Rock".

But seriously...I think the House and Senate should have 2-4 terms.