The Folly of Blindly Trusting the Government

[Cold Highway]

In the same way that power corrupts, blind trust corrupts. To say that people should not blindly trust the government is not to call for anarchy or for violence in the streets or the torching of city halls across the land. It is not a choice between trusting the government and refusing to drive on the right side of the road. Instead, it is a call for people to cease deluding themselves about those who seek to control them.

Government and all of its tentacles should NEVER be trusted and only remotely tolerated.

The Folly of Blindly Trusting the Government by James Bovard

 

[tacomancer]

Government and all of its tentacles should NEVER be trusted and only remotely tolerated.

The Folly of Blindly Trusting the Government by James Bovard

Sorry, but I don't know of anyone who blindly trusts the government, except maybe for small children.

 

[Cold Highway]

Sorry, but I don't know of anyone who blindly trusts the government, except maybe for small children.

Does the Patriot Act, Obamacare, the New Deal, Brady Bill ring any bells?

 

[tacomancer]

Does the Patriot Act, Obamacare, the New Deal, Brady Bill ring any bells?

I interpret blind trust to mean trust without reservation. I don't know anyone who doesn't have reservations about those things, even if on balance they think it is a good idea.

 

[Z3n]

Obviously government interventionism can be a bad idea when it becomes too totalitarian. That's not too hard to comprehend. What I can't wrap my mind around is why libertarians are soo pro liberty, but at the same time continue to apologize for corporate malfeasance and don't see any irony in supporting autocratic workplaces, which are anti-democratic and anti-libertarian.

I also find it amusing that a lot of libertarians adopt Orwellian propaganda, like that of the OP. Orwell was a socialist, i'm not entirely sure that helps the already very ironic philosophy

 

[PeteEU]

Thats what you get for having a political system run by big corporations and massive amounts of money for profit than by the people.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Obviously government interventionism can be a bad idea when it becomes too totalitarian. That's not too hard to comprehend. What I can't wrap my mind around is why libertarians are soo pro liberty, but at the same time continue to apologize for corporate malfeasance and don't see any irony in supporting autocratic workplaces, which are anti-democratic and anti-libertarian.

Not necessarily anti libertarian because it is a voluntary philosophy.
Democracy is a form of soft tyranny.

We generally don't support corporate/government collusion either but it's better to strike at the head of the beast (government) than to go after the arms and legs.

I also find it amusing that a lot of libertarians adopt Orwellian propaganda, like that of the OP. Orwell was a socialist, i'm not entirely sure that helps the already very ironic philosophy

I think we are heading towards a Huxley, Brave New World future.
Either way, it's a government caste system which rules by manipulation, authoritarianism and mental conditioning.

 

[UtahBill]

True, we should not blindly trust our leaders. Likewise we should not blindly believe pundits.
Betrayal of public trust should be a major felony, and politicians and pundits should be equally subject to prosecution under the law.

 

[Z3n]

Not necessarily anti libertarian because it is a voluntary philosophy.
Democracy is a form of soft tyranny.

We generally don't support corporate/government collusion either but it's better to strike at the head of the beast (government) than to go after the arms and legs.



I think we are heading towards a Huxley, Brave New World future.
Either way, it's a government caste system which rules by manipulation, authoritarianism and mental conditioning.

So if democracy is so called "soft tyranny" what is the alternative? A Republican government? I would rather the government be a delegation at the least than a trusteeship.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

So if democracy is so called "soft tyranny" what is the alternative? A Republican government? I would rather the government be a delegation at the least than a trusteeship.

I prefer a Contributive Democratic Republic.
Where the voting parties have something of value on the line(money, property, volunteer services), which influences the success of a country.

People who have a vested interest in something, usually, act best in preserving that "something."
The act of voting is not an actual contribution, unless it is done wisely.

 

[Calabrese]

thank you for finally mentioning it.

Nearly every government has become overly corrupted. There is a war going on for every persons thoughts and ideas and you must be skeptical of any organization (including the US government) that wants to control any aspect of your life even if they are bombarding you with propaganda, biased media, moral guilt, or any other device to convince people to give up any liberties.

 

[Boo Radley]

Sorry, but I don't know of anyone who blindly trusts the government, except maybe for small children.

Exactly. This is all too common a tactic. Using the government as a tool to accomplish something too often gets people jumping to a completely false train of thought. Maybe it is just a strawman effort. Allowing the debater an easier target. I don't know. But I don't know anyone arguing that we blindly trust the government.