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A Simple Question -

Do you trust the federal government to do what's in your best interest

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    63
TheGirlNextDoor

TheGirlNextDoor

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Do you trust the federal government (in its entirety) to do what's in your best interest?

Why or why not.
 
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I know what's in my best interest better than the government ever could. If anything, I think the government would quite readily screw me over if it thought that was in it's own best interest.
 
I think in certain areas the government would look out for our best interest when it benefits them. And in reality they are practicing that to preserve their own best interest that happens to also be ours. I think certain areas the government may have us in better interests than in the hands of corporations. Bottom line though, only you and your loved ones in my opinion truly look out for your best interest.
 
The question isn't so simple.
 
X Factor said:
I know what's in my best interest better than the government ever could. If anything, I think the government would quite readily screw me over if it thought that was in it's own best interest.
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why write something else when this is the perfect answer
 
TurtleDude said:
why write something else when this is the perfect answer
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Because the government is concerned about ALL the people, both as individuals and as a group, not just you, which makes the question far more complex than the way that X Factor answered it.
 
The government's job is not to look out for my best interest. That is my job. The government's job is to look out for the interest of the country, which if done well makes my looking out for my interest easier.
 
Politicians who do what's in the best interest of the people they are supposed to represent end up being killed by those same people at least half the time. This is one of the great lessons of history; good politicians learn it early in their careers. Politicians are people we hire to tell us the lies we want to hear. Their other functions are ancillary, though often quite weighty within a society. It's dangerous to invest much power in them because it's dangerous to invest much power in anyone. On the other hand, it's just as dangerous not to do so; this is another great lesson of history.

In our particular situation, the federal government is a schill for a number of monied agents, and those do not have my best interests at heart.
 
The government's job is pretty much spelled out in the constitution. They serve my interests best when they limit their actions to those constitutional mandates without stretching definitions. I am best serve when they ask themselves Is this action serving and protecting the nation and upholding the constitution I swore to defened.

Bottom line - no I do not trust them because far too large a majority of our elected officials seem to have sworn to serve and defend their own reelction
 
By the way, you framed this very much as a libertarian would. Just thought I would mention that.
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
Because the government is concerned about ALL the people, both as individuals and as a group, not just you, which makes the question far more complex than the way that X Factor answered it.
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do you really believe that? most politicians main concern is keeping their power. most government employees main goal is not screwing up so bad that the crap rains down on them. some of the bureaucrats really want to serve the public. I have worked with federal law enforcement agents and attorneys and many of them really want to do what is best. and there are some honest politicians. but government is like a trained lion. it might lick your face or even protect you but if you aren't careful it can maul you or kill you.
 
Redress said:
The government's job is not to look out for my best interest. That is my job. The government's job is to look out for the interest of the country, which if done well makes my looking out for my interest easier.
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that might be the wisest thing I have seen from you and that is really a compliment because you often make good posts. but that runs counter to what many lefties believe-the thought that it is YOUR DUTY TO LOOK OUT FOR YOURSELF is anathema to many on the left I have seen
 
TurtleDude said:
that might be the wisest thing I have seen from you and that is really a compliment because you often make good posts. but that runs counter to what many lefties believe-the thought that it is YOUR DUTY TO LOOK OUT FOR YOURSELF is anathema to many on the left I have seen
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Actually it's not. The difference between the left and right is how we define "looking after the countries interests".
 
I agree with CC that the matter is complicated.

There are, what, 535 individuals elected or appointed to high Federal office? Not to mention hundreds of high-level bureaucrats who can effectively legislate-through-regulation.

Some of them have the best intrests of America at heart. Some are more concerned with their own constituents, or their favorite lobby, or their home state, or their own status, privilege and re-election. Collectively, they somehow manage to blunder into doing something right on occasion, which is amazing enough I suppose.

On the whole though, my answer is No.... but a qualified No. I believe it is my duty as a American citizen to be distrustful of the government... the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Despite my "No", I still think that overall we have what might be the best system of governance on the planet. In 200-plus years we've managed to avoid blundering our way into either dictatorship or anarchy, we've managed not to be conquered or overrun, we're the wealthiest nation on the planet, and arguably the free-est... so over the long haul we haven't done so badly, even if sometimes in the short term D.C. seems to be populated solely by self-serving idiots.
 
Redress said:
By the way, you framed this very much as a libertarian would. Just thought I would mention that.
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How strange, given her political lean. Actually I think many conservatives would frame it just this way too.
 
Redress said:
By the way, you framed this very much as a libertarian would. Just thought I would mention that.
Click to expand...

I don't see how. I suppose I could have asked the question and then given eighteen different answers to suit the hundreds of political parties out there. I framed the question as an American citizen would frame it.

Do you trust the federal government to decide what is best for you. Either you do or you do not.

I trust them as far as I could throw them. There is a history in this country of our elected officials doing what lines their pockets FIRST with little to no regard to how it impacts the citizenry.
 
X Factor said:
How strange, given her political lean. Actually I think many conservatives would frame it just this way too.
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Yes they would. It falls in a realm where conservatives and libertarians overlap.
 
Redress said:
The government's job is not to look out for my best interest. That is my job. The government's job is to look out for the interest of the country, which if done well makes my looking out for my interest easier.
Click to expand...

Why write something else when this is the perfect answer? ;)
 
TurtleDude said:
do you really believe that? most politicians main concern is keeping their power. most government employees main goal is not screwing up so bad that the crap rains down on them. some of the bureaucrats really want to serve the public. I have worked with federal law enforcement agents and attorneys and many of them really want to do what is best. and there are some honest politicians. but government is like a trained lion. it might lick your face or even protect you but if you aren't careful it can maul you or kill you.
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe that. I also agree with what you are saying, for the most part. I see government as a concept and the the people who work in government as two different things.

Bottom line. I would trust the government to do what's in my best interest more than I would trust private organizations, basically because the premise of government is for the people, whereas the premise of private organizations is for themselves. Basic definitions. Doesn't mean I trust government a whole lot... and it depends on the situation, the issue, and who is making the decisions. This is why this is a complex question, and cannot be resolved in a yes/no answer.
 
TurtleDude said:
that might be the wisest thing I have seen from you and that is really a compliment because you often make good posts. but that runs counter to what many lefties believe-the thought that it is YOUR DUTY TO LOOK OUT FOR YOURSELF is anathema to many on the left I have seen
Click to expand...

turtle... truthfully, if you really read some of the posts from some of the non-hackish lefties, you would see a lot of the same sort of thing. We believe that it is our duty to look after ourselves inside a structure. This is one of the reasons I get so annoyed with how you post at times. You make blanket statements about liberals, when, if you really read some of our posts, you'd find that most of us are big on personal responsibility. I know I am. It's just presented differently than you might present it.
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
turtle... truthfully, if you really read some of the posts from some of the non-hackish lefties, you would see a lot of the same sort of thing. We believe that it is our duty to look after ourselves inside a structure. This is one of the reasons I get so annoyed with how you post at times. You make blanket statements about liberals, when, if you really read some of our posts, you'd find that most of us are big on personal responsibility. I know I am. It's just presented differently than you might present it.
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when in rome. and you have noted you really aren't a liberal on all issues

most of the hard core left -at least the leaders-think the average person cannot be trusted to look out for themselves and thus the wise elites must

many of the rank and file left believes the same thing too

now it is true that some libs like my brother believes in personal responsbility-he's a "lib" because he is a pagan and hates the religious right
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
Yes, I believe that. I also agree with what you are saying, for the most part. I see government as a concept and the the people who work in government as two different things.

Bottom line. I would trust the government to do what's in my best interest more than I would trust private organizations, basically because the premise of government is for the people, whereas the premise of private organizations is for themselves. Basic definitions. Doesn't mean I trust government a whole lot... and it depends on the situation, the issue, and who is making the decisions. This is why this is a complex question, and cannot be resolved in a yes/no answer.
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A private business has never taken something from me that I didn't voluntarily give to them. The same is not true of the government.
 
chevydriver1123 said:
Would you support the theory that all politicians are like Ingsoc, with only wanting to revel in power and just that?
Click to expand...

not all just a substantial majority
 
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