Is Government the problem or the solution?

Government can't solve any problems-it can only spread misery.

Yhis government and its current President is the problem big time. This administration has no moral values and want to control our lives.

The current US government is corrupt and failing. But we still need a government that can provide social services and maintain order, tradition and national pride. I do not think liberalism or libertarianism are realistic given human nature.

The essence of Libertarianism is "leave me alone and stay out of my life/business and we'll be fine. Leave me out of your business, too." It is live and let live-how is that NOT realistic given human nature?!?! Not trying to be rude, just baffled.

It's both, the problem and the solution. Without government, society would completely collapse.

and solution

Just to clarify: This question does not offer an undecided or other options. It makes you choose one side or the other. I think that government is a cause of MOST of our problems, so therefore I chose problem.

for the most part government is the root of our problems for poor schools, decaying infrastructure, lack of energy independence, crime, class envy, banking/housing crisis, and slow recovery.

Government is a necessary part of our society, it runs all the things that keep us from returning to a caveman society because we cannot do them on our own. Things like ensuring our safety, getting our kids a good education, safeguarding the morals of our society and yes, keeping a steady hand on the economy. In our democratic system the government is the natural extension of our will as a people, which has also unfortunately inherited our natural weaknesses for greed. However the solution is in working together to ensure that the the government is better than we are and that it provides us with all the basic necessities that we need in order to live a productive and independent life. I honestly can't think of a society without government as being anything other than some hellish war zone nightmare.

We have morphed into a totalitarianism. Both - in that the weak people have given control to the government. The government controls every aspect of our lives. People are the problem. We need another 40 thousand generations of evolution and mutation and a lot of luck.

MR. GORBECHEV, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!! *(RONALD REAGAN) •[reflections!]•

I'd like to hear an actual justification for this from any of the anarchists here.

Answering this question should absolutely make your decision for you as to who gets your vote.....if you believe Government is the answer...vote Obama, if you believe Government is the problem....Romney. Go Romney! Please save our country from economic collapse....over 16 trillion now...businesses are still folding right and left!

Do you think a modern society can exist without government?

We definitely NEED Government but very limited Government. Our founding fathers WARNED us to not let Government get too big and controling because it would be the demise of America. We are reaching that point. Our Government is extremely instrusive, regulates too much, spends too much, takes too much from it's people. Our Government has grown so fat that we have reached 16 trillion dollars in debt and our current president has not insisted that a budget be passed. He had ZERO approval of his proposed budget---including democrats. Obama is growing Government at the rate that will bankrupt our country, completely destroying the value of the dollar. This affects every individual in this country. This election will determine whether or not we become a socialized country which is the path to riots in the streets when all benefits are cut off because no one is left working to pay the bills.

{We definitely NEED Government}

Therefore, government can be a solution.

LESS Government is the solution right now.

I'm just quoting your words. You said that government could be a solution, since {We definitely NEED Government}. Well, okay. Reagan was wrong.

I have to thank you because you motivated me to look for famous quotes by Reagan and wow...I had no idea he had so many. There are pages and pages of them and I agree with every single one that I read. He really was brilliant. Here's one that I really appreciate today:
The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.
Ronald Reagan Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/qu...

Utter nonsense. Reagan was perhaps the stupidest US president, completely unqualified for federal office.

wow...I guess that's what makes us all individuals. I haven't read too much about prior presidents nor studied their accomplishments at all...my husband absolutely believes Reagan was amazing. He says that our country did not realize how important his leadership was until after he was out of office. Over the last several years I've met a number of men who say the same about Reagan......and these are very successful, wise, generous, kind men who have this viewpoint of Reagan.

Perhaps you could argue that Reagan's staff were unusually clever or effective. But Reagan was not making decisions. He was a mouthpiece, nothing more.

It's a package...the president appoints the men and women to key roles...usually by those who share the same philosophies about the role of Government such as Obama has all of his key players...Biden, Eric Holder, Nancy Pelosi, Janet Napolitano....

Yep, the Speaker of the House is appointed by the President. That's how it's always worked. Just like how Clinton appointed Gingritch!

Pelosi, Reid, Obama are all LIKE minded with the same ideas for America.......socialist with big Government taking care of everyone. We the people should just pass bills and later find out what's in them because we the little people are too stupid to know what's best for us. Obama and his appointments and his staff all have the same vision.....the complete opposite of what is best for our country. Almost every key democrat affiliated with Obama is a complete retard....as are his friends.

Nah mate. You got caught in a stupid mistake. You've got to at least have the balls to cop to it.

Just vote Rommey and get over yourself. It will be good for you to simply "do the right thing" for your country and for your fellow Americans who understand basic economics. Vote "pro-freedom" or "pro-Government Control" ....please choose freedom!

No. You made a stupid, fundamental error. Your partisan red herrings or silly logical fallacies will not be enough from the dreaded Being Made to Take Responsibility For the Things You Say.

You made a stupid error. Do the adult thing, admit it and we can move on. Or are you a child?

Take a snapshot of today (gas prices, employment, health care costs, functioning of our Government, business owners' confidence...ask a few) and compare that to when Obummer took office. Obama has failed and it's time for a new leader to give it a shot. Take responsibility accept reality....he has FAILED miserably.

Nope, I'm not stopping. You claimed that the Speaker of the House was appointed by the President. Do you admit that you were wrong? Are you an adult?

Opps...you've revealed yourself as a flaming liberal....trying to redirect the discussion away from the topic and pointing out some meaningless point. Try to raise yourself higher and discuss my point...the people Obama has appointed and the people who he has very close relationships with, the people he invites to visit the white house, the religious leaders he has listened to for years, the people we see him all chummy with in the white house............ALL are bad news, bad characters, anti-American and many are complete idiots like Pelosi........ALL are not people who can be respected.

Are you an adult? Can you admit mistakes?

I'll intentially misspell a word so that we can discuss the misspelling now. And I will re-state my point for your pee brain....everyone that Obama appoints, elects, consults, hears advice from, rubs shoulders, supports...are all corrupt and not good for our country.....Holder, Pelosi, Reid, William Ayers, Rahm Emanuel, Reverand Wright, SEIU, Black Panther Party, etc. He has more people dependent upon Government so that he can be re-elected. He is a traitor and 1/2 the public is buying his "talk" hook line and sinker.

Why won't you admit your honest mistake? This is unbelievably childish from you.

You're boring.

who ever said solution should look at other countries that are ruled by the governments there

How could a society without government run?

Well, ok! I've always opposed the idea of being governed by a certain group of people whether they're elected or forced upon the people for the corruption we all are witnessing. However, when I fail to think of a RATIONAL better alternative option, (and by an option here I mean a complete, coherent system) I swallow the disappointment and surrender! I wonder if that road would ultimately lead us to forming another government under another name!
Any ideas, opinions on this matter out there?! Or are there any GOOD readable books you recommend on this particular subject matter?!

Obviously there is no alternative to democracy. It's the worst system, except every other.

It doesn't work for large population. 51% deciding for 49% how to live. 49% unhappy is grounds for a revolution. AS Carl Marx suggested possibly some form of Socialism. We lost in the cold war - Russia is still there and has a strong Economy. While we have been bankrupt for several generations. So anything but Democracy! Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.