An honest question for conservatives

[wjmacguffin]

First, this is not trolling. I am an admitted liberal but I enjoy hearing different points of view so I can better understand what other people see or think. That's why this is an honest question: I want to understand the conservative viewpoint.

What role(s) should a government play in our lives?

With so many conservatives decrying taxation and government regulation, what should (if anything) governments do? Are there any tasks that should belong to the government rather than a private business? Assuming the government collects something in taxes, what should those tax dollars be spent on?

Again, I promise this is an honest question and I'm not setting folks up with a pre-planned, "airtight" counter-argument.

 

[California Girl]

How are you defining 'a government'. We have a Constitution that outlines the role of federal government. Anything else should be left to the states.

 

[wjmacguffin]

How are you defining 'a government'. We have a Constitution that outlines the role of federal government. Anything else should be left to the states.

I left that intentionally vague, as I'm hoping to learn more about theories and ideas than a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Perhaps another way to ask my question is, "What would the ideal government do?"

 

[California Girl]

How are you defining 'a government'. We have a Constitution that outlines the role of federal government. Anything else should be left to the states.

I left that intentionally vague, as I'm hoping to learn more about theories and ideas than a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Perhaps another way to ask my question is, "What would the ideal government do?"

I don't really give a damn about your questions. It's quite a straightforward concept. Federal Government does what it is remitted to do by the Constitution, the rest it does not do. Not rocket science.

 

[eflatminor]

What role(s) should a government play in our lives?

The federal government's role is detailed in the enumerated powers of the Constitution. We don't bother with the law of the land much anymore, but that's the role the federal government SHOULD play, in my opinion as well as that of those that founded the country.

State and local governments are free to play any role they like as long as their involvement does not infringe upon any individual's rights. One of those rights includes the right to move to another state.

 

[Dissent]

First, this is not trolling. I am an admitted liberal but I enjoy hearing different points of view so I can better understand what other people see or think. That's why this is an honest question: I want to understand the conservative viewpoint.

What role(s) should a government play in our lives?

With so many conservatives decrying taxation and government regulation, what should (if anything) governments do? Are there any tasks that should belong to the government rather than a private business? Assuming the government collects something in taxes, what should those tax dollars be spent on?

Again, I promise this is an honest question and I'm not setting folks up with a pre-planned, "airtight" counter-argument.

I believe my signature points to where I stand on that issue.

 

[DiamondDave]

How are you defining 'a government'. We have a Constitution that outlines the role of federal government. Anything else should be left to the states.

I left that intentionally vague, as I'm hoping to learn more about theories and ideas than a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Perhaps another way to ask my question is, "What would the ideal government do?"

I don't really give a damn about your questions. It's quite a straightforward concept. Federal Government does what it is remitted to do by the Constitution, the rest it does not do. Not rocket science.

Bingo

And IF politicians, etc want to expand the responsibilities and charges of government, we have the amendment process... that amendment process is purposely made to be hard, before someone complains that it takes too much to change or add to the constitution

 

[ScreamingEagle]

First, this is not trolling. I am an admitted liberal but I enjoy hearing different points of view so I can better understand what other people see or think. That's why this is an honest question: I want to understand the conservative viewpoint.

What role(s) should a government play in our lives?

With so many conservatives decrying taxation and government regulation, what should (if anything) governments do? Are there any tasks that should belong to the government rather than a private business? Assuming the government collects something in taxes, what should those tax dollars be spent on?

Again, I promise this is an honest question and I'm not setting folks up with a pre-planned, "airtight" counter-argument.

Paul Ryan speaks for many of us....

In a clean break from the Obama years, and frankly from the years before this president, we will keep federal spending at 20 percent of GDP, or less. That is enough. The choice is whether to put hard limits on economic growth, or hard limits on the size of government, and we choose to limit government. ...

None of us have to settle for the best this administration offers – a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next, a government-planned life, a country where everything is free but us. ...

When I was waiting tables, washing dishes, or mowing lawns for money, I never thought of myself as stuck in some station in life. I was on my own path, my own journey, an American journey where I could think for myself, decide for myself, define happiness for myself. That’s what we do in this country. That’s the American Dream. That’s freedom, and I’ll take it any day over the supervision and sanctimony of the central planners. ...

[Mitt Romney] turned around the Olympics at a time when a great institution was collapsing under the weight of bad management, overspending, and corruption – sounds familiar, doesn’t it? ...

Sometimes, even presidents need reminding, that our rights come from nature and God, not from government.

Ryan: Choosing to Limit Government - Fedblog - News - GovExec.com

 

[Dissent]

Anarcho-capitalism (also referred to as "libertarian anarchy"[1] and "private-property anarchism"[2] or "market anarchism,"[3] and "free market anarchism"[4]) is a right-libertarian political philosophy that advocates the elimination of the state in favor of individual sovereignty in a free market.[5][6] In an anarcho-capitalist society, law enforcement, courts, and all other security services would be provided by privately funded competitors rather than through taxation, and money would be privately and competitively provided in an open market. Therefore, personal and economic activities under anarcho-capitalism would be regulated by privately run law rather than through politics.

 

[California Girl]

I left that intentionally vague, as I'm hoping to learn more about theories and ideas than a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Perhaps another way to ask my question is, "What would the ideal government do?"

I don't really give a damn about your questions. It's quite a straightforward concept. Federal Government does what it is remitted to do by the Constitution, the rest it does not do. Not rocket science.

Bingo

And IF politicians, etc want to expand the responsibilities and charges of government, we have the amendment process... that amendment process is purposely made to be hard, before someone complains that it takes too much to change or add to the constitution

Seems to me, anyone who has to ask these 'questions' isn't an American. We learn this shit in school... at least in decent schools... perhaps the public education system is - again - failing?

 

[Avatar4321]

The Federal government is supposed to do what the Constitution allows it to do, and nothing else. All else is left to the individual and State governments.

The point of the American experiment is self-government. We live virtuous and good lives without the government telling us what to do because we choose to assume responsibility for our lives.

 

[Meathead]

How are you defining 'a government'. We have a Constitution that outlines the role of federal government. Anything else should be left to the states.

Yes. Federal power must be checked. A monster does no one any good.

 

[wjmacguffin]

I don't really give a damn about your questions.

Then don't answer it.

It's quite a straightforward concept. Federal Government does what it is remitted to do by the Constitution, the rest it does not do. Not rocket science.

It's not straightforward. The Constitution gives the Feds the power to promote the "general welfare". What should that entail? Is there any limit to the amount the Feds can borrow under the enumerated powers? Regulating foreign trade--does that mean embargo, tariffs, and/or IP treaties?

Seems to me, anyone who has to ask these 'questions' isn't an American. We learn this shit in school... at least in decent schools... perhaps the public education system is - again - failing?

Wow. I ask for your point of view and you respond by questioning my patriotism/nationalism. Way to represent conservatives!

 

[wjmacguffin]

Plus, what should state governments do or not do? What's something that NO government body should be getting involved with? Would welfare, Medicaid, et. al. be proper if a state government decided it?

 

[BluePhantom]

First, this is not trolling. I am an admitted liberal but I enjoy hearing different points of view so I can better understand what other people see or think. That's why this is an honest question: I want to understand the conservative viewpoint.

What role(s) should a government play in our lives?

1) Protect our homeland.
2) Protect our political and economic foreign interests
3) Create fiscal policy conducive to the growth of business and industry
4) Establish and enforce domestic criminal law that is based upon actual harm to the citizenry
5) After the top four are accomplished, shut the fuck up and stay out of our lives.

 

[Sinjorri]

wel asi i have been pointing out to the nice people of nj, see all those agencies the dems wanted and said u needed, you know hte bbb, state labor force, and the oversight agencies that are not doing squat but you the tax payer are paying for. wow how fast liberals become conservative after the rants.

 

[Avorysuds]

The role of Government should be the same for either and any party. The constitution gives the powers to the federal Government, the rest is up to the states.

The problem is both sides have vastly overstepped the constitutional restraints and play an idiotic game of trying to make the other party out to be the worse party at micromanagement of our lives.

Both parties policies are 99% the same in the actual passed policy. Where the two parties differ is on some of the most unimportant “hot button” issues such as abortion, gay rights and if Christianity is or is not the true creator of the constitution of America.

Both grow Government and mostly in the same direction, then both parties blame the other for where Government failed… Both parties have painfully ignorant and flat out stupid voter bases.

 

[Ernie S.]

How are you defining 'a government'. We have a Constitution that outlines the role of federal government. Anything else should be left to the states.

I left that intentionally vague, as I'm hoping to learn more about theories and ideas than a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Perhaps another way to ask my question is, "What would the ideal government do?"

You could read Article 1 Section 8 of the US Constitution. That pretty much describes what the ideal government is supposed to do.

 

[Avorysuds]

I don't really give a damn about your questions.

Then don't answer it.

It's quite a straightforward concept. Federal Government does what it is remitted to do by the Constitution, the rest it does not do. Not rocket science.

It's not straightforward. The Constitution gives the Feds the power to promote the "general welfare". What should that entail? Is there any limit to the amount the Feds can borrow under the enumerated powers? Regulating foreign trade--does that mean embargo, tariffs, and/or IP treaties?

Seems to me, anyone who has to ask these 'questions' isn't an American. We learn this shit in school... at least in decent schools... perhaps the public education system is - again - failing?

Wow. I ask for your point of view and you respond by questioning my patriotism/nationalism. Way to represent conservatives!

Show us all where the constitution gives this awkward power of promoting for the general welfare... Then when you fail to do that please explain how promoting equals providing. Then when you fail to do that please explain how welfare back when the constitution was written meant something (by dictionary definition) totally different yet that translates to mean endless UE, Subsidies, SS/MC/MC… Then when you fail to do that please give us the reason that even after getting something like 70% of the budget spend on welfare why we are falling apart as a nation and in an economic depression….


I honestly can't wait to not get a single answer from you.

 

[hortysir]

If I had a dollar for every thread that started out:
An honest question for conservatives


They rarely are, BTW