Government's role--too much or too little?

[MaggieMae]

That's the big debate. Here's some food for thought.

[excerpts]

Rarely has the news of the day run so counter to the spin on the news of the day. It's hard to argue that the difficulties we confront were caused by an excessively powerful "big" government. Rather, most of them arose from the government's failure to do its job in the first place.
...
The more important and dynamic force behind the current disillusionment with government comes instead from those who actually believe it can and should be effective. They do not think that the market is automatically rational or that the government has to be dumb. They are fed up with government not because their ideology or philosophy tells them to be but because they don't think government has been doing a proper job of promoting prosperity, equity and fair-dealing.

washingtonpost.com

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Obviously the Government is doing too much at this point. Most people i talk to just want the Government to get off their backs. Enough is enough. Our Congress meets too often. They should only meet a couple times a year and for very short sessions. The more they're in session,the more damage they do to our nation. How many more useless and unnecessary Laws do we need? Let the people eat as much salt as they want. Is it Recess time yet?

 

[rightwinger]

Did they do enough in regulating the financial industry?
Did they do enough in recognizing the threat of terrorism?
Did they do enough in ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable healthcare?
Did they do enough in regulating offshore drilling?

Big government....something to be feared

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Ensuring and believing in Freedom & Liberty is difficult. It is becoming harder & harder for the People to resist absolute Government domination of their lives. The allure of possible Government freebies is just so powerful. Nothing is free though. Someone always pays. Socialism/Communism is a very risky proposition at best. What do you have to give away in terms of Freedom & Liberty for those possible Government freebies? The costs are too great in the end in my opinion. The Government is clearly over-reaching these days. Time for a pull-back.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Big government....something to be feared

agreed....

 

[Avatar4321]

Way too much.

The government is not responsible for bailing people out when they can't fulfill their obligations.

The government can't force people to be honest. That's something we all have to choose on our own.

 

[Sherry]

That's the big debate. Here's some food for thought.

[excerpts]

Rarely has the news of the day run so counter to the spin on the news of the day. It's hard to argue that the difficulties we confront were caused by an excessively powerful "big" government. Rather, most of them arose from the government's failure to do its job in the first place.
...
The more important and dynamic force behind the current disillusionment with government comes instead from those who actually believe it can and should be effective. They do not think that the market is automatically rational or that the government has to be dumb. They are fed up with government not because their ideology or philosophy tells them to be but because they don't think government has been doing a proper job of promoting prosperity, equity and fair-dealing.

washingtonpost.com

Too often when the government acknowledges that they've failed, their solution is to further expand, which generally compounds the problem.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Liberals. No government is to big, to intrusive, to nanny state for them.

 

[SpidermanTuba]

That's the big debate.

Its only a debate amongst the simpleminded - people so moronic as to actually think we just need to get the right "size" government and everything will be fine.

 

[GilbertArizona]

In terms of programs, way too much.

In terms of regulation, I'd say it is a matter of too much here (healthcare for example) and too little there (workers safety, immigration enforcement).

 

[SpidermanTuba]

In terms of programs, way too much.

In terms of regulation, I'd say it is a matter of too much here (healthcare for example) and too little there (workers safety, immigration enforcement).

Careful. You might blow some peoples minds with that. Government is either too big or too small ... period ...
- you're introducing gray areas and complications to the issue.

 

[rightwinger]

That's the big debate.

Its only a debate amongst the simpleminded - people so moronic as to actually think we just need to get the right "size" government and everything will be fine.

You don't believe that Government should be the right size?

 

[MaggieMae]

That's the big debate.

Its only a debate amongst the simpleminded - people so moronic as to actually think we just need to get the right "size" government and everything will be fine.

That was the purpose of the editorial. E.J. Dionne (although a known liberal commentator) explains quite well how government and the private sector need to co-exist. He's not taking a "side" on anything.

 

[Flopper]

That's the big debate. Here's some food for thought.

[excerpts]

Rarely has the news of the day run so counter to the spin on the news of the day. It's hard to argue that the difficulties we confront were caused by an excessively powerful "big" government. Rather, most of them arose from the government's failure to do its job in the first place.
...
The more important and dynamic force behind the current disillusionment with government comes instead from those who actually believe it can and should be effective. They do not think that the market is automatically rational or that the government has to be dumb. They are fed up with government not because their ideology or philosophy tells them to be but because they don't think government has been doing a proper job of promoting prosperity, equity and fair-dealing.

washingtonpost.com

Before asking the question, is government too big, we need to agree on what we mean by big government. To many it’s not the number of employees and agencies but the cost. To other, it’s the regulation that effect how we do business and lead our personal lives. When some people complaint about big government, they aren’t complaining about what government does, but rather the inefficient way it does it. If reducing the size of big government means fixing all of the above problems then there is only one possible solution and that is revolution. That raises an interesting question. Can someone be a conservative and advocate the overthrow of their government?

 

[MaggieMae]

That's the big debate. Here's some food for thought.

[excerpts]

Rarely has the news of the day run so counter to the spin on the news of the day. It's hard to argue that the difficulties we confront were caused by an excessively powerful "big" government. Rather, most of them arose from the government's failure to do its job in the first place.
...
The more important and dynamic force behind the current disillusionment with government comes instead from those who actually believe it can and should be effective. They do not think that the market is automatically rational or that the government has to be dumb. They are fed up with government not because their ideology or philosophy tells them to be but because they don't think government has been doing a proper job of promoting prosperity, equity and fair-dealing.

washingtonpost.com

Before asking the question, is government too big, we need to agree on what we mean by big government. To many it’s not the number of employees and agencies but the cost. To other, it’s the regulation that effect how we do business and lead our personal lives. When some people complaint about big government, they aren’t complaining about what government does, but rather the inefficient way it does it. If reducing the size of big government means fixing all of the above problems then there is only one possible solution and that is revolution. That raises an interesting question. Can someone be a conservative and advocate the overthrow of their government?

The inefficiencies and waste MUST be addressed, but the problem is no one seems to know where to start. The DoD is such a mess that it is unauditable, according to the GAO, which may be the reason Secretary Gates (a Republican in case the fringers forgot) has called for even further deep cuts in the Pentagon's budget. Good for him. If every agency did the same, independently of what the president (no matter who he is) says, that may be the only way to reduce costs significantly across the board.

 

[Flopper]

In terms of programs, way too much.

In terms of regulation, I'd say it is a matter of too much here (healthcare for example) and too little there (workers safety, immigration enforcement).

Careful. You might blow some peoples minds with that. Government is either too big or too small ... period ...
- you're introducing gray areas and complications to the issue.

It seems like too many people are looking for very simple answers to some very complicated problems. In 2008 when markets collapsed, unemployment skyrocketed, and millions were faced with losing their homes, there is no way congress and the president could tell the American people that they are going to do nothing and just let the recession run it's course? Yet, that is exactly what so many armchair quarterbacks suggest should have done.

 

[amrchaos]

Way too much.

The government is not responsible for bailing people out when they can't fulfill their obligations.

The government can't force people to be honest. That's something we all have to choose on our own.

Government will not bailout just any one. However government does have a responsibility if the actions of the "bailout people" creates a security situation in which a bailout becomes mandatory.

Compare our banking industry handling of the mortgage crisis versus BP handling of the oil spill. At some point, both will need help. The criteria of government in extending the help is the repayment of services provided to them.

No, government can't force people to be honest, but can create incentives that encourages honesty. This includes laws that punish people for being dishonest about issues that, otherwise, disrupt the order in our society.

The issue of a sound economic system and maintaining an ordered society falls up under the governments responsiblity of maintaining national security. Without either one, our republic will fall.

 

[chanel]

Interesting topic. I've always believed too much govt opens itself up to too much money and corruption. I'm a firm believer in keeping regs simple but with every law from local to federal, they complicate things so that only lawyers and accts can understand them. Thus many go unenforced.

My son has decided he's a libertarian and said that he thinks every major spending bill should be put to a public referendum. I disagreed. Who will fund the mental hospitals? Crazy people don't vote. Young people will reject SS increases and old people will vote against school budgets. It wouldn't work.

The federal govts main concern should be national security first and foremost. Thankfully people don't get to vote on that.

 

[rightwinger]

My son has decided he's a libertarian and said that he thinks every major spending bill should be put to a public referendum. I disagreed. Who will fund the mental hospitals? Crazy people don't vote. Young people will reject SS increases and old people will vote against school budgets. It wouldn't work.

Its the old saying...

Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on whats for supper"

 

[RetiredGySgt]

My son has decided he's a libertarian and said that he thinks every major spending bill should be put to a public referendum. I disagreed. Who will fund the mental hospitals? Crazy people don't vote. Young people will reject SS increases and old people will vote against school budgets. It wouldn't work.

Its the old saying...

Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on whats for supper"

We have a Representative Republic to avoid just that. Places like California use referendums to inject way to much into the political process and they pay for it.

I have an idea, how about we RETURN to running this Government under the laws and rules that GOVERN it. You want more power for the Government? PASS A FUCKING AMENDMENT granting said power.