Being concerned only with the size of government is a bit like being satisfied (or not) with your BMI score alone.
Quotes in bold from Lucrum: Now you're you going full liberal retard on me. Virtually all the conservatives I know are calling for more efficient productive cost effective government. NOT no government. The part you seem to be overlooking is that a more efficient productive cost effective government. Would inextricably be a smaller government. You're confused on this point. We are actually in complete agreement, and what you've stated Re the conservative position on government was my point too, almost my entire point in fact. More cost effective, and efficient government will almost certainly be smaller! But we won't, and can't, arrive at that desired end by just chopping government! And that's where I part company with the radical right of the Republican party. I don't lump you in with the tea party lunatics, and the anarchists, that would, given the chance, just de-fund government; protecting their pet components, the horribly inefficient Defense Department and the socialist VA. (Do not read anything into this Re my own position on either the DOD or the VA.) I try to avoid characterizing others. You are the only one that has the right to characterize yourself. I have the right to accept or reject your characterization, but I don't have the right to define you. At least I don't have the right to expect anyone to listen, if i do. Your stock craters every time you quote that arrogant asshole Soros. Just so you know. In my opinion, I think you are making a Big Mistake to not pay more attention to Soros. He is one of our most public intellectuals, and his philanthropy is having a huge impact. If we listened to him more, in my opinion, we would be better off. As just one of endless examples I could point out, his solution to the financial crisis made much more sense than what Paulson did. He would have left the "toxic assets" with the banks, but replenished their equity instead. "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." Thomas Jefferson This quote by Jefferson does not stand well against close inspection in the Twenty-first Century because it is subject to ambiguous interpretation . If you interpret "too much" as referring to size, then it's a glaring example of confusing correlation with cause and effect. If, on the other hand, you interpret "too much" as too much intrusion into personal liberty, as I am confident you should, knowing Jefferson as I do, then of course I am in complete agreement with Jefferson.. It is a subtle point, but it won't be lost on you. Had Jefferson said instead: "Too much government results in bad government." he would have still been ambiguous, but nevertheless, right by definition. Were he to come back from the grave, he might take the opportunity to revise his statement so as to avoid an incorrect interpretation by such as yourself.
If you don't educate yourself beyond the garbage spewed on MSNBC I am going to lump you in with those partisan buffoons. The Tea Party Patriots' mission is to restore America's founding principles of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets. What "lunacy" are you speaking of? No Sale pie hole, I'll take Jefferson over Soros any time any day on any subject. And I think your presumption of Jefferson is incorrect. Obviously we'll never know for sure.
that's pretty weak there piezoe, have you resorted to quoting me quoting Soros? Try again, you don't seem to be in your best form at the moment. Good Thanksgiving? Yeah, same here, takes a while to settle back down. Especially when you have kids that care more about life than how the world should be run. otherwise, I'm afraid it has really come down to "Size Matters"
Piezoe... In my opinion you just tossed up a ridiculous straw man. Of course we all desire more efficient govt. The sequester came about because a leftist suggested it. It was done because our politicians don't have the balls to close the budget deficit properly. The sequester showed you could indiscriminately cut the budget and virtually nothing bad would happen. That is a govt that is too big and should be cut. But when it comes to liberties we also demand less govt. I do not care if govt can efficiently store our private info. I do not care if the govt could efficiently keep track of guns. I do not care if the govt could efficiently provide us a miltia or... provide health care or provide for central planning or half the things govt currently does. Our founders like Jefferson believed in small govt because big govt can and will destroy liberty. Forcing us to buy insurance from third parties is a serious step toward crony facism. Something anyone with a brain should want to avoid. Smaller govt is safer govt.
man, you are all over the place, did you have a conversation with one of your kids that was simply trying to make a living? otherwise, I will agree with both of you "If you think government is bad, you will create a bad government." It's just gotten so damn big and so obtrusive and most importantly, "So Corrupt" that we just want to cut it anywhere we can. No place left for those of us disenfranchised who don't make it to Davos each year. So now, you are the establishment, and we are the revolution.
on the otherhand, when amazon was just selling books (a good and noble endeavor), someone could have said, "If you sell more than books you will get too big." What was that the man said? "Can't slide a cigarette paper between amazon and the usa government." Big business good Big government bad. You're losing it man You want government to be as big or bigger than business
I'm quoting Soros, not you. But if you believe as he does, that's a good thing, because I believe there is good evidence that he is correct.. And by the way that quote is from his lectures given at the Central European University, and it is just one of many examples of reflexivity he gave in those lectures .
That's an illogical idea, and one of the reasons that the radical right is a destructive force rather than a constructive one.. The right lacks intellect, the left, grounding in the reality of human nature. Again, the size of government is only a symptom. If you cure the illness, the symptoms will resolve themselves.
If you read Jefferson, you will know. I don't watch MSNBC. I often watch the News Hour on PBS, I listen to Public Radio News nearly every morning. I used to read the Financial Times regularly, I don't now. I found it much more useful for financial news and commentary than the WSJ. I read the WSJ occasionally now. (I get it free, which is what it is worth.) I read select articles in the NYTimes and Propublica quite often. And I read your posts, Lucrum. I find them Lucrumous.