What do you think the roll of the U.S. Government should be?

[Rightwingnutjob]

I personally am a BIG believer in much of what John Locke said. I believe in one's inalienable right to life, liberty and property so long as it is at no one else's expense.

As such if the government is taking my property it should be to protect my inalienable rights and NOTHING more. That is my belief. SO much of what the government does and what many believe in is driving me crazy (freakin' ape-****-bananas crazy!)! :monkey

So the title says it all; what do you think the role of the U.S. Government should be? Check all that apply.


P.S. Could a moderator PLEASE fix that glaring spelling error of "role" in the title?

 

[Jucon]

The government should:
- Protect it's citizens from military/terrorist/foreign/domestic threats
- Protect it's citizens from economic threats
- Protect our constitutional rights
- Ensure the country remains overall functional
- Help citizens in a time of crisis (i.e. natural disaster)

There are more, but those are some of the main ones for me.

 

[peepnklown]

I’m a libertarian so it should be easy to know which I picked.

 

[Your Star]

The Gov. should
- Protect our civil liberties
- Promote our general welfare(ex- police force, fire department, promoting infrastructure like roads and such. healthcare,etc)
- Protection of minority rights
- Providing a national defense
- Upholding the Constitution, and amending it when necessary

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Sorry, the poll is completely inadequate.

The role of the government is to

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,

Note that it says "provide" for the common defense, and "promote" the general welfare.

If the people that wrote the Constitution wanted the federal government to "provide" welfare, the Constitution would have said so.


The role of the government is to maintain the minimum order consistent with maximum freedom that doesn't allow the people to infringe upon each other.'

The government is supposed to enforce the laws equally, without regard to race. Hence the US Department of Justice should not be allowed to get away with refusing to investigate and prosecute cases in which black men are accused of discrimination.

The government is not supposed to be a nanny.

The government is suppsed to promote freedom, but it's not allowed to run retirement schemes, subsidize railroads, farms, factories, hospitals, or any other business.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

Since government is created by people to create a structure for their society, based on the people of that society's needs, morals, and mores, the government role should be whatever the people of that society deem it to be.

 

[tacomancer]

protect our rights
provide for general welfare in an infrastructure sense (roads, healthcare, etc, stuff that helps everyone)
Enforce laws, including the constitution
National defense
Provide a balancer against some of our more destructive natural tendancies

 

[Rightwingnutjob]

Sorry, the poll is completely inadequate.

The role of the government is to



Note that it says "provide" for the common defense, and "promote" the general welfare.

If the people that wrote the Constitution wanted the federal government to "provide" welfare, the Constitution would have said so.


The role of the government is to maintain the minimum order consistent with maximum freedom that doesn't allow the people to infringe upon each other.'

The government is supposed to enforce the laws equally, without regard to race. Hence the US Department of Justice should not be allowed to get away with refusing to investigate and prosecute cases in which black men are accused of discrimination.

The government is not supposed to be a nanny.

The government is suppsed to promote freedom, but it's not allowed to run retirement schemes, subsidize railroads, farms, factories, hospitals, or any other business.

Okay, now kindly tell me where I made you choose everything in this poll. What is the point of your post?

 

[Rightwingnutjob]

I'm really baffled by those of you who think the government should be making retirement and health care funds MANDATORY to pay in to...

Anyone care to support this?

 

[tacomancer]

I'm really baffled by those of you who think the government should be making retirement and health care funds MANDATORY to pay in to...

Anyone care to support this?

Yeah, look at the destitution of the poor before many new deal programs. Retirement (Soc sec) is a part of that. Also, I think single payer socialized systems are better for society and private business cannot make it happen, so it falls on government.

 

[MaggieD]

Any civilized society will provide for those less fortunate. This falls under "protect the general welfare." I suppose we could just let our old and sick float out on an iceberg...

 

[Rightwingnutjob]

Yeah, look at the destitution of the poor before many new deal programs. Retirement (Soc sec) is a part of that.

So the government should be able to STEAL from me in order to pay others? I cannot support this. Retirement is a privelege earned through years of hard work, careful spending and responsibility. To take my hard-earned money and give it to some ambitionless sap who wanted to make a living at McDonald's is dead wrong. Theft committed by a government is still theft.

Also, I think single payer socialized systems are better for society and private business cannot make it happen, so it falls on government.

Single payer systems are too easily taken advantage of by the useless and the lazy. With food stamps, free health care, and shelters, where is the incentive to work? The government cannot afford to fund a single payment system any more than the private sector can. The reason? Health care companies are really gambling. Every time that they insure someone they are betting that they'll have to pay less in doctor's bills than they'll receive. The government would be operating under the same circumstances and as such if they insured everyone (and some people FREE!!!), then they would lose a rediculous amount of money. Social security and medicare are likely to go bankrupt with the looming horizon of reitiring baby boomers. The true national debt is projected at >50 TRILLION dollars. If every American were to pay an equal share to pay off the debt then they would pay $400,000. How can we afford such programs?!


Also, I swear to God (who I'm not sure I believe in), I'll blow a gasket if somone mentions, "well Bush contributed to the debt...blah...blah." I agree, but it's not the point of this conversation so leave it out.

 

[Gardener]

What should the roll be?

Hopefully delivered at about the second arrow with a powerful hook that sends it right into the pocket.

 

[rivrrat]

The role of the govt should be to define and protect our rights. And protect our borders.

Any civilized society will provide for those less fortunate. This falls under "protect the general welfare." I suppose we could just let our old and sick float out on an iceberg...

Or let private charities take care of them.

 

[digsbe]

From the poll selections I chose:
Protect it's citizen's rights.
Protect citizen's from national disasters and provide aid in such events.
Give you free healthcare.
And "Other"

The other option is whatever the society wants to give the government power over. I also include funding education in there as well.

I think the government should protect citizen's rights, the rights of all citizens and not simply the rights of those they agree with. I think our nations government should be the one protecting and dealing with national disasters and provide aid if one occurs. I believe in government healthcare where everyone receives quality healthcare in an efficient system.

 

[liblady]

Sorry, the poll is completely inadequate.

The role of the government is to



Note that it says "provide" for the common defense, and "promote" the general welfare.

If the people that wrote the Constitution wanted the federal government to "provide" welfare, the Constitution would have said so.





The role of the government is to maintain the minimum order consistent with maximum freedom that doesn't allow the people to infringe upon each other.'

The government is supposed to enforce the laws equally, without regard to race. Hence the US Department of Justice should not be allowed to get away with refusing to investigate and prosecute cases in which black men are accused of discrimination.

The government is not supposed to be a nanny.

The government is suppsed to promote freedom, but it's not allowed to run retirement schemes, subsidize railroads, farms, factories, hospitals, or any other business.

then there's this:

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

 

[Rightwingnutjob]

Any civilized society will provide for those less fortunate. This falls under "protect the general welfare." I suppose we could just let our old and sick float out on an iceberg...

It's "PROMOTE the general welfare."

Also, I'll admit that there does need to be help for a very small, select portion of society in the forms of food provisions, and health care. However, those who want/need and are able should be working for it, not sitting on their ass pretending to be hunting for jobs (this is strictly speaking for adults, not children). They should be required to show proof that they are applying for jobs and trying to improve their own situation.

Also if they want food, then they damn well better not be using their food stamps on candy as I've seen at certain stores. This is despicable.

In short, some aid is needed for a very small sect of society--but nothing like what is given out today is necessary or just.

And if Obama hadn't cut the tax return amount for donating to charities then we could expect private charities to contribute more...

 

[Rightwingnutjob]

What should the roll be?

Hopefully delivered at about the second arrow with a powerful hook that sends it right into the pocket.

What?????????

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

The role of the government is to promote the well-being-- both material and spiritual-- of its citizens.

 

[Rightwingnutjob]

The role of the government is to promote the well-being-- both material and spiritual-- of its citizens.

So the government should have an active role in religion? No.

 

[Goobieman]

Protect it's citizen's rights.

 

[Goobieman]

Since government is created by people to create a structure for their society, based on the people of that society's needs, morals, and mores, the government role should be whatever the people of that society deem it to be.

I wonder how many of the people that agree with you/thanked you understand the full implication of what you said here.

 

[Goobieman]

Yeah, look at the destitution of the poor before many new deal programs. Retirement (Soc sec) is a part of that. Also, I think single payer socialized systems are better for society and private business cannot make it happen, so it falls on government.

So... choice is a great thing, so long as you agree that a certain choice should be given.

 

[Goobieman]

Any civilized society will provide for those less fortunate. This falls under "protect the general welfare." I suppose we could just let our old and sick float out on an iceberg...

Where is "protect the general welfare" found in any of our governing documents?
And then, when did the word "protect" come to mean "provide for"?

 

[Goobieman]

then there's this:

Which is supposed to mean... what?