Will someone please explain to me

[AmerVoicesUnited]

what the Hell big gov vs. small gov really means? This is the "Teabaggers" MO, right? Does it mean that we bow-down to the wealthy and lick their shoes? Is it living as the GOP/Teabaggers dictate? Is it proclaiming less spending while putting forth programs that ADD to the deficit/debt??? WTF?

Seriously, what does it mean cause I must be clueless?

[PeaceNikki]

1. They want to privatize EVERYthing

And anything the government runs is evil. You know... like education and police and fire and parks. All evil.

[Ted_White]

46. And then sell it off to their buddies with a no-bid contract.

[c0t0d0s0]

2. Not hard

I would think the question boils down to who is best able to handle a problem. Big government talks about having the government handle everything for you. Like Social Security. Small government says that the individual is best able to know what they need.

[PeaceNikki]

6. huh... are you a Democrat?

I'm not getting that vibe

[c0t0d0s0]

17. Huh?

Is something that I wrote incorrect?

[PeaceNikki]

19. It's a simple yes or no question - are you a Democrat?

[c0t0d0s0]

27. Not an easy question

I don't like labeling myself. But, can you tell me yes or no if I posted anything that was incorrect?

[TBF]

28. You're incorrect. If we do away with government

freedom will mean even more "freedom to oppress" others, steal from them, and let them die in the streets. Your view is very libertarian.

[c0t0d0s0]

35. Reading into it

I never said it was my view. I defined the two views. And until somebody can point out a mistake I stand by the two definitions.

[Demstud]

37. He/she gave no value judgement

He/she gave a pretty plain straightforward answer as to what the association big government vs. small government typically means.

[PeaceNikki]

39. This sure is a strange place for someone who can't commit to "labeling" themselves as a Democrat

What you posted was a Libertarian/Conservative spin of it. Admittedly mine was a liberal/Democratic spin, but that's to be expected on a site called "Democratic Underground".

Here's an easier question: Do you identify MORE with Democratic views than Republican views? And from which views not held by Democrats do you stray?

[c0t0d0s0]

40. I'm sorry

I wanted to get a feel for how people of all political leanings thought. I guess I assumed that since the democrat side of the isle was supposed to be the compassionate side and the side that embraces diversity that this wouldn't be a problem.

But, if you don't want to have somebody that is a moderate here than I will be happy to leave and leave you to discuss things without any discussion.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TBF]

29. lol

:)

[canoeist52]

8. Which works fine if you live alone on an island.

But we live in these United States, you see.

[gateley]

9. Like investing in stock or a mutual fund that loses half its value? Perhaps

you could provide some good examples. Thank you and welcome to DU.

[Wicked93]

11. This is it...

I went to a couple Tea Party gatherings to find out what they were about. Smaller government to tell them what to do

Most of it not bad.... just scary

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. You like read Atlas Shrugged

Bravo!

Now it is a CLASSIC of science fiction... here is the operative word it is FICTION!

[Dappleganger]

22. Thank you!

Our oldest son had to read this last year, and couldn't get over why the teacher was so excited about it when he thought it was just a mediocre book of fiction.

[Dappleganger]

23. Republicans also like to feed their military monster...

of course that is totally exempt from their rules of no "big government."

/s

[TrogL]

30. Love the username - you work with Solaris boxes?

[c0t0d0s0]

41. Not right now

I just miss their stability. Now I do Windows.

[blm]

33. Small government is the CLAIM, but, FASCISM is the reality with CORPORATIONS telling you what

you can get. Your needs will mean nothing to them.

But....the masses have been dumbed down to accept corporations ruling their lives from their corporate newsmedia masters already. Why do they really think Limbaughs, Becks, and Hannitys of the broadcast world are so highly paid? Because they dispense fascist propaganda in a way that influences the electorate to vote against their own interests, security and futures. Truth is never paid well, and in fact, usually punished by the powerful.

[w8liftinglady]

34. as a former Libertarian who has seen firsthand the effects of "big government"

People were able to go to school who may not have had the ability to go...therefore contributing to society.
People were given the capacity to get medical treatment...which extended their lives and allowed them to contribute to the community
parks and wiildlife were saved-which allowed tha individuals to take their families to these very places
Roads were paved,ditches dug,water resorces maintained,agriculture assisted...all of which helped businesses to exist.
restrictions were placed on employers to prevent child labor,demand a minimum wage,and defend Americans against the slave labor they were escaping by coming here...all for the benefit of individuals.

we now see the results of lowering these standards over the Bush Administration-and even before that.
increased job injuries,less people with access to medical/dental care,deteriorating roads,water systems,cities
More people out of work due to their jobs being outsourced to the very countries our ancestors rised their lives escaping.Candidates supporting doing away with minimum wage...and getting elected.

Libertarian thoughts were prevalent in the 50's-when the country...immediately post-ww2 - was rebounding from the depression.they have no place here today...and have become distorted by the Tea party,who has stolen and distorted them.

[Drale]

3. Small Government =

a government that has no power to regulate corporations or the environment, but all the power it wants to regulate how people live their lives.

[KingOfLostSouls]

4. Small Government = Haiti

[AndrewP]

31. +1

[Rex]

5. No you are not clueless at all, you seek reason with your rhyme

and to date no Republican has ever complained about THEIR spending and spending and spending (sans taxes or glass ceilings). What they mean is that our federal govt should be small and able to run on a skeleton crew (paid very little and anything that can be outsourced, should) no huge amount of money should ever go to federal programs or there should be NONE for social assistance, under a Republican rule (defense and GOP value programs only). Oddly enough, every GOP administration made sure the Fed govt grew and grew and grew funny how their words always end up being lies. Hope that makes some sense.

[Angry Dragon]

10. Somebody needs to track how much government grows in the next two years and

shove it under their nose

[Jamastiene]

7. They call it "big government" when Democrats control the government.

They call it "small government" when they are in control of the government, even though the government is the same amount of people and the same size either way...and idiots all over the country eat that shit up like they understand some super complicated political terminology because they can pronounce the words "big government." It makes them feel important.

Idiots eat it up and vote their right wing puppet masters into the government...that is the same size either way.

[csziggy]

14. Repubs call it "small government" even when they GROW the government

I don't have the figures, but I can't believe with the growth of Motherland, er Homeland Security, that government under GWB got smaller.

What pisses me off is that the Repubs scream and yell about "tax and spend" Democratic policies, but the deficit gets SMALLER under Democratic administrations and bigger under Republicans. They yell about how bad Democratic policies are for business, but the GDP does better under Democratic administrations.

Why the HELL the Democratic Party does not call them out on these LIES every single damn time the Repubs and their spokes puppets trot them out, I will never understand. They have allowed this crap for forty damn years, and it is now accepted even by solid Democratic people.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. It's code

big government = public services, things like social security et al

Small government - privatizing all, since the private sector is better.

[Lyric]

15. They're too cowardly to come right out and say it, but what they MEAN is this:

Big government = welfare, WIC, Food Stamps, immigration amnesty, the EITC, enacting gun safety regulations, regulating banks, setting minimum safety standards for medicines, recognizing gay rights, treating women like Actual People, minimum educational standards, and actually having the AUDACITY to uphold and defend the 1st amendment restrictions against establishing Christianity as our national religion.

Small government = invading peoples' bedrooms and arresting them for sodomy, invading peoples' mailboxes and arresting them for obscenity, invading peoples' telephone calls, library books, and internet searches in order to combat "terrorism" (a.k.a, Those Brown Heretics from Arab Nations), invading our minds by censoring books, TV, and the internet for anything not suitable for toddlers, and generally inserting the government morality police into every single aspect of your LIFE. Except for your gun case and your stock portfolio, of course.

[HughBeaumont]

26. Actually, they're SUPER cowardly to say in public what they say in private:

"Big Government = takin' MAH money to help the (insert racial slur here)s!"

"Small Government = Th' way things OUGHT to be - rich (read: refuses to accept he's a peasant) guys like me running shit and the (insert racial/ethnic/homophobic slur here)s in prizzin whur they B'LONG!!"

[sohndrsmith]

16. I have similar questions. I haven't been able to figure it out other than

implied hypocrisy or naivete or both....

I'm not sure the GOP/TP argument is *really* against big government, because it seems as though they are very interested in legislating changes that increase political power for those things they like and support - many of which seem to be the social issues they refuse to discuss (because - one can only hope - they want to ignore because they're aware of the hypocrisy of this position as they rail passionately for "individual freedom!!" which - in the true sense of the definition applies to all, and includes honoring freedoms one might disagree with, many of which are constitutionally protected.

I don't know if the label "big" government is as accurate as "invasive" government - however "big" or not-big it may be (big meaning what? In numbers of public officials? Subcommittees? Funding? Etc.? To me, overreaching government means unreasonable intrusion on my ability as a citizen to make decisions, enjoy opportunities, benefits or behave within limitations required for all, not some of us.

The GOP/TP has no problem with increased governmental intrusion into the lives of its citizens, particularly in private matters such as birth and marriage (which is - and should be recognized as it always is when undergoing dissolution - a secular, legal contract that has zero to do with theological attributes except for those who personally choose to make such implications. They still don't matter in divorce - unless stipulated by lawyers if one or both parties want to make it an issue.

The most stunning GOP/TP intrusion is that (in my view) of dismissing the idea of separation of Church and State - the opposition of which is by far the most politically intrusive (and insanely so) idea of any party - on any issue - ever presented since the formal codification of the Constitution, which deliberately, expressly wrote this into it's fabric FIRST - and without doubt.

For any party or movement to proclaim or even imply that this and so many other components of our Constitution should be turned out, removed and/or reversed... could only be understood as being so wholly targeted towards MORE governmental power than anything anyone has presented in this century.... unless I'm very confused (which is not unlikely).

[krispos42]

18. How much government taxes the rich and powerful, I guess.

Lord knows they don't mind taxing the poor.

[LWolf]

20. "Big Government" = domestic public services.

"Small government" = Massive military spending, privatization of everything else.

[AmerVoicesUnited]

21. Thank you all for you input.

My personal take on big/small gov is that it is just an illusion and fodder for political talking points. The Repubs scream smaller government, but are BIG on mind control via fear, hate, and intimidation. I wrote a blog a couple of months ago about how they use our patriotism and faith against the people. And boy, has it become profitable!!!

The numbers just don't add up. When Dems are in control, ALL of American prospers. When Repubs dominate, only the rich get richer.

I feel like running for Congress in my Republican-dominated district in 2012 AS a (gulp) Repub or Teabagger (I guess I can learn to lie and fear-monger) and become the spoiler. I can use Bachman or Palin as a model. Okay, now I'm really going to gag. At least I still have my sense of humor and sarcasm in tact.

I'm so glad I found this forum because most of the writers I find here are a very reasonable group, some with different points of view, but a respect to express those views. REAL Americans on DU - I thank you!

[Naturyl]

24. "Small government" means no social programs and low taxes.

A huge military is fine, and taxes for that are okay.

"Small government" means "survival of the fittest" as a philosophy of government. It's code for Social Darwinism.

[Joanne98]

32. Racism. Big Government is CODE for States rights.. They always use this argument when

They're trying to kill black people.

Remember the Civil War? That was a "states rights" issue according to the racists.

They just replaced the name. Now they say "big guvmit".

But it's the same thing.

[c0t0d0s0]

45. But....

Isn't it state's rights when California legalizes medical marijuana and when Massachusetts performs same-sex-marriage?

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Demstud]

38. I don't think you can rationalize it completely.

I think c0t0d0s0 summarized it pretty nicely:

"I would think the question boils down to who is best able to handle a problem. Big government talks about having the government handle everything for you. Like Social Security. Small government says that the individual is best able to know what they need."

Of course the problem is they are not recognizing the issues, or just parroting it because it sounds nice. The fact is most philosophies of members of both parties don't fall easily into either category. Many tea-bagger's are actually pretty angry about something (what exactly varies, if they know at all) and use "big government vs. small government" as a motivator since it makes them feel like the underdog (David vs. Goliath... also a nice image for the more religious members). Never-mind that many are actually promoting their own form of conservative big government. I think democrats tend to be much more rational in what role government should play in our lives, which is a big reason I'm a Democrat instead of a Republican. So many Republicans operate off a false sense of nostalgia longing for "good ole days" that never really existed, and are easily manipulated by that kind of imagery. Though I've known of some who are also pretty rational and just flat out rich selfish bastards, lol.

[treestar]

42. The teabaggers have read too much Ayn Rand,

so they worship the free market, which they think will take care of everything. They don't want government regulation because it costs money and they'd like it better not having to fill out government forms and having to deal with all those rules. They just want to do it their way and rely on the fact they will not harm others because that would harm their business reputation. Of course we know how that worked out in the Golden Age, but they will insist that things like child labor would have gone away voluntarily, so that the producers of goods would not look bad.

[c0t0d0s0]

43. What is the alternative?

If we go with the thought process that the government can best guide the country through regulations, laws, and taxes isn't this just creating an environment open for abuse? For instance, with Obama's health care reform aren't we opening a door that would allow the next George Bush to come in and make health decisions for us?

[Motown_Johnny]

44. Big Government is when it spends money on things the other side doesn't want

it is purely subjective


we think massive military spending creates big government


they think social programs create big government


the term is meaningless

[Starbucks Anarchist]

47. It means teabaggers rail against spending while relying on Medicare and SS.

They want the benefits, they just don't want anyone else (i.e., anyone darker than beige) to have them.

[c0t0d0s0]

49. I've always wondered...

Wouldn't the opposite of a teabagger be a teabaggee?

[Mz Pip]

48. Big government means

when the government does something you don't like.

Small government is when the government does something you do like.



Kind of the same definition applies to activist judges.