What is a statist?

[martybegan]

I was wondering what other people's opinion is on what constitutes the goals and poltical beliefs of a statist?

To me a statist has to meet most of the following political viewpoints. I am going to try to keep the points on a postive note, as opposed to going negative on them.

1. More government is better government:

Statists believe that increased government power is usually the best method of assuring improved societal functionality. Increasing government input or control over certain economic or social activites leads to improvement in society as a whole.

Statists are anti-federalist. While statists support increases in government at all levels, most statists pefer to work at the federal level when it comes to increases in government. Increasing federal powers while decreasing state and local power allows the statist to implement thier political philosophies on a national scale.

Statists beleive that rights are granted by the government, acting as an agent of the people as a whole. This leads them to beleive that certain rights can be limited, or even reversed if it appears that granting the right limits the ability of the government to enforce the "will of the people."

Any others?

 

[editec]

See the people doing well?

THEY are statists.

See the people out on the streets?

They are NOT statists.

K-rist! How hard is that to figure out?

 

[Ravi]

What is a statist? George W. Bush.

Also those that want federal laws regulating marriage, flag burning, abortion, etc.

 

[martybegan]

What is a statist? George W. Bush.

Also those that want federal laws regulating marriage, flag burning, abortion, etc.

I would agree that those would be statist tendencies.

 

[LOki]

Statism the political principle of advancing state control over the economic, political, and social activities of the governed to advance the interests of the state.

Statists are those who assert that the interests of, and the benefits enjoyed by, the indiviuals governed are secondary to that which benefits the state; hence, individuals (the governed) owe a primary responsibility to the state, and are the legitimate means to achieve the interests of the state.

 

[editec]

World leading statist organization today?

I'd venture to say it's probably Goldman Sacs.

 

[martybegan]

World leading statist organization today?

I'd venture to say it's probably Goldman Sacs.

Probably not. I would think they would want less regulation, not more.


and its Sachs.

I would place some people in the OWS camp as statists, as they want someone to hold Wall Street "accountable" and the only party that could feasibly do that is the government, more specifically the federal government.

 

[Ravi]

World leading statist organization today?

I'd venture to say it's probably Goldman Sacs.

Probably not. I would think they would want less regulation, not more.


and its Sachs.

I would place some people in the OWS camp as statists, as they want someone to hold Wall Street "accountable" and the only party that could feasibly do that is the government, more specifically the federal government.

Not sure I'd agree here. The government should hold some accountable that operate within the country. That doesn't mean they want the government to take over everything.

 

[Ravi]

What is a statist? George W. Bush.

Also those that want federal laws regulating marriage, flag burning, abortion, etc.

I'd also like to add to the list those that think voting should be reserved for property owners and/or those that pay federal income tax.

We have a lot of statists posting at USMB.

 

[midcan5]

Statist in its contemporary form is a four letter word used by wingnuts on the right as a stick so they can keep from thinking about the complex roles of government. Meaningless unless you belong to their ideological church.

Our first president was a statist at a time when the word was used in a positive manner.

"The unity of Government, which constitutes you one people, is also now dear to you. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquillity at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very Liberty, which you so highly prize. But as it is easy to foresee, that, from different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment, that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion, that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts." Quote DB :: Speeches :: George Washington :: George Washington's Farewell Address Speech

 

[Si modo]

Funny. A thread without a single conservative trying to decide out what conservatives mean when they say something.