i could go on for quite awhile on government, but ill shorten it drastically. a government is in princicpal to uphold the laws of the country and/or ruler ( in that cases a dictatorship), help the people ( not applicable for all) and maintain control over the people ( order,stability,etc.)
The Government is to benefit the greater good. People cannot organize themselves and trade efficiently. If people think the government's only job is to protect us, then they clearly don't know shit about government.
Government is a phenomenon where humans give up some of their individual interests for the sake of having stability and order. How to achieve that stability and order depends on the individuals who create the government. Therein lies the answer to your question--it is subjective, depending on the people and thus the time and place.
The Government is to benefit the greater good. People cannot organize themselves and trade efficiently.
I would agree with this to a minor degree, however we have seen time and again that our governments lack these same abilities. The issue with governments today is that we rely to heavily on them.
I tend to believe that when there is a need then people will rise to meet that need, however our governments are doing a fantastic job of making sure that we don't know about things until it's too late for us to do anything about.
Our governments have too much central authority in my opinion, which has removed the power base from the common citizen, thus leading to much of the unrest as we feel as though our governments no longer properly represent our needs.
It all depends on who you ask. Some will tell you government is to help and serve the people while others, will tell you it is to just protect them. It all depends on the ideologies of who you are asking.
I would agree with this to a minor degree, however we have seen time and again that our governments lack these same abilities. The issue with governments today is that we rely to heavily on them. I tend to believe that when there is a need then people will rise to meet that need, however our governments are doing a fantastic job of making sure that we don't know about things until it's too late for us to do anything about. Our governments have too much central authority in my opinion, which has removed the power base from the common citizen, thus leading to much of the unrest as we feel as though our governments no longer properly represent our needs.
I whole heartedly agree. In Canada we don't even elect our Prime Minister, we elect the party we "want" (mind you there's no big differences when it comes down to liars). The people are drastically uninformed for the vast majority of the time. The head of the party elect becomes Prime Minister, also the party itself elects it's head, people have no say.
Toward the original post. I believe there is a mix of both. By governing the government is helping people and vice versa.
The government should only help those who cannot help themselves. Other than that, they govern. That's it. I would never allow my government to get too intrusive with my life. I want them to protect me from harm, and punish those who would harm me. I don't want them throwing my money at people who are too lazy to get a job.
I don't mind my money being thrown at people who can't help themselves, however. People who try and try, but cannot succeed. They deserve help from the government, and the people.
People cannot organize themselves and trade efficiently.
I have to fully disagree. While we have proven that we *can* fail at everything, we have also proven that we *can* succeed at everything, including trade. Corporations that make billions a year have to help from the government, yet they trade with distributors, and even their own competition to benefit. Simply saying the government (which IS a giant corporation) is more capable than me at trading, is simply ignorant. I understand some people are total failbugs, but many others are far better than the government. Hell, they aren't in trillions of dollars debt, are they?
Strong Government, National and Local, make for the best government. As long as the people in office truly represent what the State wants, then there should be no problem. People alone don't work, and when the government makes mistakes, they blame it on them. The wonders that government has made. Universal education, social security, and important international discussions as a whole.
EnterOrion, examples of countries with governments with little power are Iran, Rwanda, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Serbia, and Croatia. Look at them. Name three countries that have a small government and are prosperous.
The wonderful thing about government is that it can correct itself. Government is powered by humans, and humans make mistakes. Organizing humans is better, no?
The thing about big government has nothing to do with corruption, politics, or personal opinion. The fact is that bigger government = less personal freedom.
Now I don't know about you, but I kind of like being able to decide what to do with my life without some idiot I've never met trying to tell me what is in my best interests.
Granted there are quite a few idiots out there who wouldn't know what their best interests are if they had them taped to their fridge, but that doesn't provide any reason for someone to step in and dictate the course of their existence for them.
and you can NEVER tie together Fascism with Democratic Socialism. It is just plain simple.
Answer me for the USSR.
And I never said anything about political ideologues. Someone scapegoating? This is about big vs. small government.
The wonderful thing about government is that it can correct itself. Government is powered by humans, and humans make mistakes. Organizing humans is better, no?
The free market, to most who don't have a degree in finances, would look very chaotic and disorganized, while this is not the case. It just as, if not more, organized as the government. Except replace the free market with international affairs and corporations with the government. Same, exactly.
Humans will always make mistakes. Humans with the power over peoples very existence make the biggest mistakes.
