Am I nuts for thinking there are larger problems than "the size of govt.?"

[RandomKoolzip]

A rant:


Somehow, I just think that how large the federal government is is just not.....all that....crucial. I know, maybe I'm weird. I can deal with beauracracy. It doesn't bother me much.

But when there are elections being stolen under our noses because no one is regulating the companies that make the machines that count the votes, when just 6 corporations control just about everything we see, hear, or read because no one is regulating them, and our environment is getting shot to shit because no one is regulating the polluting companies, somehow the mantra of "smaller, less intrusive government" seems like a hideous lie. Less intrusive to who, exactly? CEO's? Why SHOULDN'T I want the CEO's of Bechtel or Halliburton intruded on?

I look around and I see that regligious fanatics are taking over our country, that the rights of minorities are getting trampled on, corporate fascism is looking ATTRACTIVE to many Americans, and that apathy is more prevalent than nitrogen. And libertarian and conservatives want me to get pissed off about.....the, uh, size of the, uh, federal government. 'Cuz, uh, there's like, lots of, uh....waste 'n' stuff. ExCUSE me? THIS is the free market?! Everyone screwing each other over, in esence shitting where they eat, and making life even more miserable for people who already had it tough? Capitalism needs regulation just like a football game needs a referee. Who's gonna stop the players from charging into the stands and tackling fans without referees? Multinationals are not moral entities, Milton Friedman taught me that; they have no obligation to make life better for the greater number of people, just their stockholders......So left unregulated, we get the horrors and despoilation of the Bush Administration. Thanks, Milty. Thanks, Grover. Thanks, Dick.

Almost all European countries have free health care, are not starting unecessary wars of conquest and corporate dominion, are not allowing multinational corporations to control every goddamn aspect of their lives, are not heck-bent on instigating the "End Times," and are perfectly fucking happy. THEY TAKE CARE OF THE BASICS FIRST, then they can worry about piffle like "big government." (As if "big business" is somehow more benevolent!)

[DenverDem]

1. "Government too big" another publican LIE.

There are 200 million of us that need the government as our COMMONS to regulate those that would harm THE PEOPLE, like BIG BUSINESS and THE RICH and THE MILLITARY INFORMATION COMPLEX.

publicans don't want a big government because that would get in the way of their greedy, megalomaniacle WAR ON THE PEOPLE.

BIG GOVERNMENT IS GOOD, if it's actually run by THE PEOPLE.

[RandomKoolzip]

2. All they're doing is replacing "Big Govt" with "Big Business...."

It's still some big intrusive entity, except now it actually does REAL harm to people.

[LearnedHand]

3. Smoke, mirrors

It's like saying terra-ists, or librul, or family values. You know, a cattle prod. And the cattle jump. "Oh, my god! Big government! Big Brother! They want to ban my bible."

Fuckin' assholes.

Why a healthy federal government (not overgrown, just healthy) is good for this country:

(1) Unlike private industry, then federal government dispenses funds and jobs fairly equitably (not at the cabinet level, but at the bureaucratic level). The federal government is the largest employer in the country. Ya wanna fire all those workers?

(2) Some things should NEVER be sent down to the states (welfare and health care funding, for example). Want to fuck something up good? Send it down to the states to "administer." It's a race to the bottom, baby.

(3) We will see the death of science as we know it if the federal government gets out of the business of funding science -- especially basic research. Wanna leave this in the hands of the corporate fuckwads? Fine, but you'll NEVER see any development that doesn't directly affect their bottom line -- and ONLY their bottom line.

[RandomKoolzip]

4. Number 3 is very important.

Already the big defense industry honchos are doing most of the scientific funding these days; thus billions spent on prototype missles, guns, tanks, etc, but none on the treatment of depleted uranium's effects on soldiers, for instance.

Just how "free" can the market get?


We need another FDR BAD.

[KT2000]

5. It is a hate campaign

placing the blame on large government seems to satisfy people and give them another enemy and something to complain about.

My sister works for the state in an office that deals with the public. They have had to hire full time police protection for the office because some people have become so rude and agressive that there was fear for their safety. These idiots treat the workers like garbage and tell them that they (the idiots) pay their salaries so they better do what the taxpayer tells them to do. Some are extreme, such as those who refuse to pay taxes, live by their own constitution etc.

Lots and ots of hate out there.

[Robeson]

6. Military sucking too much of our national wealth is the problem.

[ever_green]

7. I'm for smaller government and less corrupt government.

Small military used only for defense, low taxes, fiscal conservative spending and NO corporate welfare. The main thing that should be regulated is the environment.

[buddhamama]

8. No, I am with you

The size of Government is not a concern of mine.

Fear Big Government is a repeated mantra of the Republicans to scare citizens.
Bush has not only set out to weaken regulations and oversight but, the agencies themselves are not efficient. Corporations are able to forestall regulatory action/s because this administration has starved the agencies and is lax on enforcement of existing rules and regulations. Really, what good is a law against polluting our waterways if the EPA,etc., do not have adequate resources to monitor and, take necessary action to remedy the "problems"-corps. Bush has sent a clear message of non-support.

An aside, Clinton shrunk the Government, Bush has enlarged it.

[TheDonkey]

9. Democrats need to take the title of Responsibility

I agree with many of your points. Government has become irresponsible and a waste. We need leaders who will bring americans responsible and effective government.

[YIMA]

10. The Patriot Act

There's an example of where a large, more intrusive federal government just might be.....all that....crucial.