NationStates Jolt Archive

This was a belief of the US's founding fathers - that the government should be as small as possible.

W/the exception of the anarchists here, who likes this idea?

well, just look at how well it works for education, prisons and hospitals

well, just look at how well it works for education, prisons and hospitals

Ok, I agree that the government should be involved with those and a few other necessities - however I think that there in our current govt today there is just way too much bureaucrocy (sp?) which could be gotten rid of so that it functions better

Ok, I agree that the government should be involved with those and a few other necessities - however I think that there in our current govt today there is just way too much bureaucrocy (sp?) which could be gotten rid of so that it functions better

private schools and hospitals are much better than public ones

I'm not too bothered by the size of the government as long as they stay out of my personal life and keep things running smoothly. By the same token, a small government which was constantly interfering in my day to day life and/or not doing their job would give rise to ire quite quickly.

I think it's stupid how the government can find the money to censor Gundam SEED to death, but not to give us public hospitals.

The founding fathers didn't envision global corporations.

Would they have had the same thoughts if they had seen PGE killing people, Ford creating the Pinto bomb, Corporate executives and the account "mistakes, etc., etc.

Privatisation is good for somethings and not for others.

There should always be oversight and retribution against buisnessmen that knowingly kill or harm people for profit.

private schools and hospitals are much better than public ones

please back that up

as it is a disgraceful lie

#1 cause of personal bankrupcy in America are hospital bills

please back that up

as it is a disgraceful lie
No. It's actually true. Since the patients in private clinics can pay the horrendues fees they charge.

I think it's stupid how the government can find the money to censor Gundam SEED to death, but not to give us public hospitals.

Dude, let it go man, I get it. You're mad because of your censored Anime, but that's why we have the 'net :rolleyes:

Besides... Anime ain't really that good *cough*

The founding fathers never knew how much potential America had, nor how far it would come. Their views may have changed if they knew, then again, for the worse then?

This was a belief of the US's founding fathers - that the government should be as small as possible.

W/the exception of the anarchists here, who likes this idea?

I like that idea. I am a libertarian (with lowercase or uppercase 'L', it doesn't matter to me). The government should do only enough to fulfill its purpose, which is: secure the rights of its individual citizens. To me, that means the military, the police, and the court systems. These would be financed by some type of consumption tax. Leave everything else to private enterprise, they can do anything more efficiently, and with more accountability to customers, than the government can.

Privatisation is good for somethings and not for others.

Who decides which things it's good for, and which it's not?

There should always be oversight and retribution against buisnessmen that knowingly kill or harm people for profit.

Um...there is.

Besides... Anime ain't really that good *cough*

But only because the government censors it. Gundam SEED had this complex plotline between Kira and Flay before the government decided that American anime fans shouldn't see sex even though they already know about it.

But only because the government censors it. Gundam SEED had this complex plotline between Kira and Flay before the government decided that American anime fans shouldn't see sex even though they already know about it.

Lets see, Gunadam SEED was broadcast during cartoon networks afternoon action cartoon programming block where the majority of the viewers would be 6-12... yeah, lets have Dora the explorer have wild farm sex with that monkey next.

Lets see, Gunadam SEED was broadcast during cartoon networks afternoon action cartoon programming block where the majority of the viewers would be 6-12... yeah, lets have Dora the explorer have wild farm sex with that monkey next.

The people who actually watch Gundam SEED seriously are teenagers. Why would they broadcast it to children? They wouldn't understand anything in it. It's too deep.

please back that up

as it is a disgraceful lie

#1 cause of personal bankrupcy in America are hospital bills

Private schools are much better. I don't think I have to explain that to you.

As are private hospitals.

Maybe they should have put down the thousand dollars needed for medical insurance.

And it's the 2nd largest cause...
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=1686#_ftn1

Private schools are much better. I don't think I have to explain that to you.

As are private hospitals.

Maybe they should have put down the thousand dollars needed for medical insurance.

And it's the 2nd largest cause...
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=1686#_ftn1

Your link leads to the reference. You just want to link the main page (http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=1686).

I like that idea. I am a libertarian (with lowercase or uppercase 'L', it doesn't matter to me). The government should do only enough to fulfill its purpose, which is: secure the rights of its individual citizens. To me, that means the military, the police, and the court systems. These would be financed by some type of consumption tax. Leave everything else to private enterprise, they can do anything more efficiently, and with more accountability to customers, than the government can.

Sure they can.

Child labor laws happened because businessmen said we needed them.
Worker safety laws and safe working environments happened because businessmen said we needed them.
The SEC happened because businessmen said it was needed.
The Pharmies are happy the FDA exists.

Read about the business practices of the Rail Road and coal mines before you start saying business will do things better without goverment involvment.

Who decides which things it's good for, and which it's not?


Strawman.


Um...there is.
Yes and it really doesn't acomplish much.

Be black and rob a convience store for the sum of 40 dollars, go to prision for 10+ years.

Be white and wealthy, defraud people out of millions, wipe out the retirement of the elderly and go to prision for a year or two.

It's irrelevant. Limited govt is impossible. Look at America. Started as a govt whose duty was to protect life, liberty and property and now there's a supreme court willing to rule that growing corn to feed your own pigs is interstate commerce and can as such be regulated by congress!

The govt has taken the supreme court and used it as a tool to stamp legitimacy on their increasingly fascist policies.

Child labor laws happened because businessmen said we needed them.
Children still have to work in countries that never had a free market.

Worker safety laws and safe working environments happened because businessmen said we needed them.
That's actually true, see "Capitalism and the historians" by F.A. Hayek et al.

The SEC happened because businessmen said it was needed.
Don't know what that is.

The Pharmies are happy the FDA exists.

The FDA has murdered hundreds of thousands of people. In the 70s a beta blocker was banned by the FDA but was allowed in Europe where it proved safe. The FDA then legalised it 10 years later in the US claiming that by doing so it would save "10 000 lives a year" (see David Friedman, "The Machinery of Freedom"). That's a nice way of saying they murdered 100 000 people. That's just one drug. Someone else has claimed that if penicillin were invented today it wouldn't pass drug laws.

Sure, they might occasionally get it right like with thalidemide but they play it too cautious (legalising bad drugs gets more headlines than banning good ones) and on balance they kill people. They also make it expensive to produce drugs. The free market solution would be to make them responsible if their product causes harm, let people take them to court. Making bad drugs is unprofitable.

Read about the business practices of the Rail Road and coal mines before you start saying business will do things better without goverment involvment.
I think you'll find most of the abuses were only possible because the govt collaborated with them. Example: guy builds railroad, congressman demands money or he'll impose expensive regulations on the railroad (which owner can't exactly lift up and take somewhere else). Railroad owner now has to bribe govt officials to prevent them plundering his enterprise. See "Capitlism, the unknown ideal" by Ayn Rand (yes, I know she's a witch but she has a good article on this).