I have a question about smaller government?

Question

I'm starting to see the light of having a smaller government. I guess all of the Hannity pounding is starting to break through. My question is, isn't one of the jobs of the government to be self-sustaining? That is one of the arguements used in not allowing gay marriage, because the government promotes procreation. But couldn't use that arguement for everything? Such as we need this program else people will die, and if people die our government will die.

Answer 1

I will agree we need some government. Government is not self sustaining, we pay for it, that is what sustains it, without us paying for it, it no longer exist. We can affect how much we pay and what we pay for. For instances. People talk about public education. How come they do not have the success rate of private education. Talk about privatization, how come FedEx has huge profits and yet the US Postal service loses money? You see, we don't need government involved in all of these services, the private sector will do them at a better price to show a profit with better efficiency and less waste, fraud and abuse. Remember the REA, or Rural Electric Commission. A government agency that brought electric power to the people, well they took land by eminent domain, built power stations, installed utility poles and ran electric wires at the cost of millions to the taxpayer. Who do you think owns that land and the poles, the lines, private firms that got rich because we taxpayers paid for the infrastructure. We do not need a larger government, we need government out of our lives.

Answer 2

If the people in this country (and Mexico) would stop expecting a free ride...
(Food Stamps, Welfare, Health care, Medicaid...)and be self sustaining the government could be smaller, but unfortunately the Democrats need someone to depend on them and aim their policies at the poor: who, unfortunately, tend to be less educated, and don't grasp an understanding of simple economics and capitalism. I notice the Democrats usually have a plan to fund their policies by raising taxes (especially the rich) but this effects the poor as well.
Republicans, however have been making plenty of ridiculous decisions lately, so their is plenty of blame to go around.

Smaller government would be a wonderful thing...I am sick of "big brother" telling me I need to pay more taxes if I smoke, drive an SUV, stay in a motel,...I am an adult and can make my own decisions I don't need an elitist telling me how to live. I am PERSONALLY ACCOUNTABLE for my actions. Pay attention politicians...

Answer 3

I used to believe in big government but then I began to see the light of smaller government and less taxes.

Big government is simply a farce. It fails to work. Did you know that the money collected by the IRS for the personal income tax only pays for two things in the Federal Budget?

1. Interest on the National Debt
2. Undocumented Expenditures, what?

What are undocumented expenditures? It's money that is unaccounted for. Lost. I call it theft.

So the cost of income taxes, as much as people whine about it, fails to pay for a single service that the federal government provides. That's the price of big government.

Answer 4

That my dear friend is why it is good to have some privatization. The funding would be your choice of charity. Many charitable foundations do such good work without charging the exorbitant fees the government would for great causes. Keeps our tax base low to provide the necessary things we need like the military, better intelligence, firefighters, and police to name just a few.

Answer 5

Government is not to be "self-sustaining" or on a permanent growth curve...the government never involved itself in social engineering until the 1900's ...prior to 1913, there was no federal income tax...what we need is the government out of our pockets and doing the minimal things it is supposed to do under the Consititution.

Answer 6

The only party that really wants smaller government is the libertarian party. Good luck with that.

Bob Dole said it best when he told Clinton during the debates there was only 7% difference between Democrats and Republicans.

Answer 7

What is it now 1 in 6 people work for the government at some level. If you cut back government making it smaller, then where will all the people now work?

Answer 8

Hannity doesn't want smaller government. He want the corporations to own all of america and return us to "The Jungle" or "Christmas Carol" world when corporations last reigned freely in America. Republicans have never made government smaller. Only bigger. Democratic politicians do the same.

Answer 9

If Hannity and all republicans want smaller government, why is it getting bigger and bigger? He's full of hot air. By smaller government they mean turning it over to private companies so they can get a cut of the pie.

Answer 10

Self sustaining strongly implies stasis - it neither shrinks nor grows.

Government has been growing, sometimes slowly, sometimes rapidly, since the early 20th century.