People think government is too big, only when they don't need it.

[Kasz216]

mrstickball said:

richardhutnik said:

mrstickball said:
That doesn't validate that big government is needed.

Having companies like 38 Studios go into bankruptcy, devouring millions of dollars of taxpayer money should prove that one should be weary of government in bed with businesses, and vice versa.

It just shows that what people want, and how the act, makes them get a large government, because it has parts other people want that individuals are opposed to.  And while you can argue it should prove that government in bed with business is something to be weary of (or visa-versa), the fact that people do it means they are game to do it.

Of course they are. That is human nature.

Everyone wants as much as they can get - especially if its without a direct, personal, cost to themselves.

Its also why we can't reduce the size of government easily. *Everyone* wants to cut government spending. Democrats want to cut defense spending, and corporate subsidies and tax breaks. Republicans want to cut entitlement spending. Neither wants what the other does, because such cuts would aggravate the voters they pander to.

Its partially why I'm a libertarian. I began seeing how Republicans would always bash the Democrats about debt spending and not cutting the size of government, when in reality, 90% of Republicans will gladly vote to increase the size of government. Just their government.

In congress you really have no choice.  It's why the big "spending reducers" are pretty much all in the executive branches.

I mean, imagine the house of representatives as a family.  They're all fighting for there part of the budget.  If you say no.  All that happens is other districts take your cut of the pie and no real spending cuts are made.

Essentially the responsible are made to suffer twice.  First during the "high" because they get no benefit.  They they suffer with everybody else during the crash.

Unless a drastic "responsibility first" wave hits the entire country at once, your screwed... well that or someone who represents the whole country steps up and does the right thing.

It's why your friend Gary Johnson had to veto all those spending bills. 

Nevada has an issue like that. Soutern Nevada has a lot of fiscally conservative representatives, Nothern Nevada a lot of liberal ones.

End result is, the majority of government spending ends up happening north, because southern representatives don't get behind spending for their districts, but northern represetnatives too