Do you agree with this quote, Why or Why Not?

Question

"When government accepts responsibility for people, then people no longer take responsibility for themselves."

George Pataki.

Answer 1

I definately agree.
Look how many people depend on the government, expect the government to pay for their food, housing, health insurance, education and then complain when the government asks them to do something like get a job.

Answer 2

Definitely agree. This has been proven through our own entitlement programs in the USA. Many people do not make the hard decisions - it's easier to depend on food stamps or medicaid. No need to invest and save, I've got Social Security. He was right.

Answer 3

Partially true. But this is an attack on welfare, and the gov't should take responsibility when it is it's f*ckup that put those people on welfare.

Or better yet, don't f*ckup. Then no one needs the gov't to take responsibility. Considering George Pataki was one of the biggest reasons the gov't f*cked up, he has no business saying this. Not until he cleans up his mess.

Answer 4

Take it in CONTEXT:

"The American founders understood that a prerequisite to order and freedom and public safety is effective but limited government.

From bitter personal experience, they learned that government has a terrible appetite for more power, an appetite that as it burdens its citizens with more taxes and more bureaucracy can bring down nations and empires.

They knew this tendency of government -- with sometimes the best of intentions -- to grow bigger and more powerful has always posed history's most serious obstacle to social progress and its greatest threat to personal freedom.

When government accepts responsibility for people, then people no longer take responsibility for themselves. Individual responsibility and personal freedom are inevitably linked.

Limited government, then, was not just a slogan for the American founders, it was the path to greatness and the beginning of political wisdom. Size and Cost

Let us resolve now that in the months and weeks ahead, we will return to such wisdom. We will begin where the people want us to begin -- reducing the size and cost of government and getting rid of unnecessary and counterproductive programs.

The people believe that government has become too big, too unwieldy, too distant, too arrogant, that every day government seems to grow not to benefit the taxpayers or the people but the bureaucrats, officeholders and the special interests. The people are right. Today, today government is simply too large."

You'll notice that he says "when THE PEOPLE believe government has become too big. . . and counterproductive."

I'm a liberal and I think our gov't, under Dubya, has become wholly unproductive. We're throwing our money away on a war that was never meant to end. We the People, 70% of us, are totally against this war but you sure don't see the Republicans listening to us!

I'm also against stupid little earmark projects that so many of our politicians have in our budget. Most Americans are against them. but you don't see our leaders being responsive to that public desire either.

So don't take this quote out of context. The government was BORN to take care of THE PEOPLE---we voted for it and re-vote for it every time we go to the polls.

Without an effective and well-designed government you have what is happening today in Pakistan.

Answer 5

For government to exist at all, means that to some degree people have stopped taking responsibility for themselves on some level.

Answer 6

Nice quote, I agree 100%. I can't beleve a big government, tax and spend RINO like Pataki said it. NY is one of the biggest nanny states in the country.

Answer 7

I agree with the quote.

Answer 8

simple minded gibberish. pataki does not do nuance and detail.

Answer 9

Wow... what a cynical view of your fellow man...

No, I don't agree.

Answer 10

I disagree, because we put the people in office, so we can tell them how we want them to act....Don't follow instructions?...C-Ya