Role of government: what should it be?
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It’s official: when we choose a President this fall, we will also
choose a theory on the role of government. The putative President and
the Mayor of New York both said it this week. Voters need to hear and
understand exactly what they said and what this means.
What Obama and Bloomberg said
Yesterday, Barack H. Obama traveled to Cleveland, Ohio. He gave a
rambling and almost petulant speech in this historic “battleground”
State. Mostly he said, “It’s all Bush’s fault,” or something amounting
to that. (Maybe he had read this Gallup Poll. Katie Pavlich has some other numbers that should set that record straight.)
But Obama said one thing worth hearing. The New York Times had two reporters on the ground to hear it:
Your vote will finally determine the path that we take as a nation — not just tomorrow, but for years to come.
In other words, Obama said that you will vote for more than a
President (or to be technical, Presidential Electors). You will vote for
a role of government. You will vote whether government will be your
nanny or your monitor and arbiter.
If you doubt that, Mayor Mike Bloomberg should remove that doubt.
Last week he made a rule that no convenience store, movie candy counter,
etc., could sell you a drink larger than 16 ounces. Soft drink bottlers
then took out a full page ad in the Times showing Bloomberg as “The Nanny.” (Or maybe as the title character in the Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire.)
What’s next? Limits on the width of a pizza slice, size of a hamburger or amount of cream cheese on your bagel?
Actually, popcorn and milkshakes are next. But Bloomberg brazenly said that he was only doing his job!
If [the role of government] isn’t to improve the health and longevity of its citizens, I don’t know what [that role] is.
The mayor then contradicted himself. He told his TV host that he
didn’t mean to tell people what to do. But he and his Board of Health
are doing just that!
Excuse me, Mr. (putative) President. Excuse me, Mr. Mayor. Obama is half right, and Bloomberg is totally wrong.
The proper role of government
The US Constitution. Photo: National Archives of the United States
To “improve the health and [long life] of its citizens” (and lawful residents) is not the role of government. The Framers of the Constitution
never saw it that way. Nor is the role of government to guarantee you
an income, no matter what Richard A. Cloward and Frances Fox Piven said 56 years ago.
The role of government is to manage force. This role derives from a basic social principle: so long as humans live together, no one may start using force against another. But humans will
start using force, unless some other humans stop them, or deal with
them when they do. That is the proper role of government. That is why we
have government.
But the Progressive movement began with a new view of the role of government. They
first said that government must “improve the health and [long life]” of
those who live under it. And they didn’t stay with the Democratic
Party, or even start there. The first Progressive President was Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican.
So what does the role of government break down to? Three things:
Police
Military
Law courts
And that's it.
But what say you? Is Mayor Bloomberg right to say that the role of government is to "improve" your life, whether you think it could stand improving (and in that way) or not? Or do you believe, as I do, that your life is your own, and government's job is not to interfere with it, but instead to stop others from interfering?
Read More: http://www.conservativenewsandviews.com/2012/06/15...
Top Opinion
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Kimmel 2012/06/15 18:21:43To protect your rights from wrongful use of force.
And it is government that implements good governance.
By imposing certain restrictions on freedom, the government increases overall freedom.
For example, state and local governments restrict the freedom to kill, rape, commit arson, and plunder.
Because of government, it's not likely that anybody will kill you, rape your wife, loot your home, and then burn you house down..
And the Federal Government keeps people from violating your civil rights.
Government frees you from victimization.
That's why you feel right at home in Right Wing Nut Job Land.
Are you the fastest gun in London?
If you're such an independent, government-hating individual, then why haven't you done anything about all those cameras over there watching your every move?
Can't you just whip out your old Colt Peacemaker and shoot 'em down ?
Or are you all talk?
There's no such thing is there?
When anarchy prevails, there is no state, and there is no justice because there is no law.
Then you have what Hobbes calls life "in the state of nature," where a man owes allegiance only to himself and his family.
. . . And life is "nasty, brutish, and short."
You probably don't know anything about JS Mill either.
These countrymen of yours were great thinkers . . . and here you are with your "uni" education . . . And you sound like you have sh*t for brains.
. . . . Maybe you should spend some time learning something . . .
What the hell does your "uni" teach you?
. . . That you should be proud of your individuality . . . proud of your ignorance? . . . Proud of your stupidity?
I tell you what hat man, you have a lot to be humble about.
. . . anarchy might not seem so fun then.
Can't you find a cause to get behind?
It's sad that people see no point in life.
Life can be very good.
What exactly are you complaining about?
Dying too soon?
Well then, if long live is that important to you, become a Vegan.
Your mind is an empty bubble.
Go do something constructive, and quit acting like a pathetic Little B*tch.
I feel embarrassed for you man.
If you want to kick back and relax and let whatever might happen happen . .. fine, go for it.
If you want to give up all of your personal power, that's your choice, but it's ridiculous to feel sorry for yourself, when you yourself make your life irrelevant.
However, government should also create a level paying field for all people to produce commerce. They should build roads and infrastructures using the money people pay for gas taxes.
Unfortunately, our current government fails on all fronts. The only jobs that Obama creates are jobs producing weapons because many people feel they need to defend themselves against government. There is no level playing field because Obama chooses winners and losers.
Government should also protect and uphold the constitution, as it was written and intended, just like they swore to do, when elected.
"The Tenth Amendment provides that " The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/t...
That the Federal government has routinely overridden the Tenth Amendment, it has more or less become a matter of common law. Meaning that if something is done repeatedly and accepted as valid, then it becomes valid by 'common law'. That's what's happened to the Tenth Amendment.
The sole function of govt. / law is force. And* govt. / laws are never "preventive." Laws don't save lives nor does govt. use law to "prevent crime." Law is force - a method of redress - to punish actions, not prevent them.
So many of our nation's problems could be solved by simply recognizing those principles.
Even the post office.