Quote Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
Ok then.

EDIT: Originally I wrote about why I want to bring specific things like healthcare / army / transportation / energy and environment under governmental control, but it was too much text and I think the following explains it better.

Most people who participated here already seem to think that tiny governments are best, and that most things should be managed by the people themselves.
this only works if 'The People' are responsible enough to do that.
But 'The People' usually aren't. Generally 'The People' are stupid, uninformed, gullible, greedy and small-minded.

This is true everywhere. I try to see things from all sides and act responsibly. But most people I see in daily life don't.
Responsible people would not drink and drive. Responsible people would not leave their baby unattended in the same room with a pitbull. Responsible people would buckle up their children in the car. Responsible people would not need to be told that an accusation of child molesting is not enough to execute someone on the spot...

It is a good thing that 'The People' are not wielding the actual power because it would end in mob rule.
Government officials are also people who are prone to the same problems, but with everything they do they live with the knowledge that we can strip them from their powers come next election day. (slightly off-topic, but this is another reason I like our multiparty system)

I don't think my government is ideal, and I don't think that corruption doesn't happen, but I prefer anything above direct rule by 'The People'.

If I come over as a cynic... It's because I am.
I strive to live responsibly, and I do my very best to raise my children responsibly, but until I can start believing that 'The People' can act responsibly as a group, I'll hold on to the government.

I've met 'The People' on several occasions and I did not like what I saw.
You don't get mob rule when people act like free thinking individuals ----you get mob rule when people act like sheep ----- "the people" as you define it is just as applicable to a goverment out of wack --- it might not be as recognizable or in your face as a group of civilian with torches (ak- 47's, whatever) who are out of control and causing immediate damages but it can be devestating in more of a long term and insidious sense. The greatest attrocities have not been caused by an individual or groups of free thinking individuals but by people willing to follow goverments that are supposedly doing things for their own good --- how many people died as a result of following a Nazi collective thought or how many millions died in the Soviet take over of Russia in some attempt to create a workers party utopia? Individuals do not cause such attrocities --only people who are willing to follow and be regulated in the hopes of something better. I trust individuals --- I don't trust groups --even when they take the form of a well intentioned government --- I accept that the world will never be perfect and humans have a bad side and I am willing to live with the poblems that are a result of it --- but you can keep your big governments as I don't see how one can not have faith in an individual because of his supposed lackings but is willing to give faith to a government made up of such individuals who ultimately will work off of a mob rule and teach a group think attitude ---- I'd rather die than be neutered and labatomized even for such holy things as altruism and social welfare.

Justin