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Two Weeks In: Do You Feel More Free?

Two Weeks In: Do You Feel More Free?

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aberrant85

aberrant85

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This self-imposed federal government shutdown serves as an experiment in the size of the government. Since Reagan, the conservative position has been that big government is bad for America, while Grover Norquist says he wants government small enough to drown in a bathtub.

The underlying principle being that big government infringes on our liberty.

Now the government is not totally shut down. Essential workers are still at their post, feeding zoo animals, inspecting food, and monitoring the International Space Station. But many highly visible and popular programs have been stopped or only resumed thanks to wealthy patrons or states, while many more invisible programs that turn the gears of government have been gummed up.

With this dramatic drop in Government function, do we feel we have more liberty, or not?
 
I never felt un-free. It's not an issue of government infringing on liberty, as much as government creating dependency, thus being seen as Uncle Sugar Daddy, which creates discomfort once that dependable source of comfort is not there anymore. For those of us whose lives are self-sufficient, it's a non-issue.
 
I don't, but that's in part because I'm in a lurch. If I knew my government position was never coming back, I'd have gone out and started putting my Resume all over the private sector over a week ago and attempted to get another job.

The insinuation regarding workers still doing essential jobs...which also includes Air Marshal's flying on planes, network security specialists monitoring the nations power grid, and intelligence analysts scouring over reports (but let's focus on zoo keepers)...is also a bit off because how it's operating currently would not be how things would operate under a significantly stripped down government. Why? Because while they're working, many are not getting PAID. So that still creates a load of limbo that would not be there if this was simply business as usual, but with a smaller government.
 
I feel neither more nor less free.
 
Zyphlin said:
I don't, but that's in part because I'm in a lurch. If I knew my government position was never coming back, I'd have gone out and started putting my Resume all over the private sector over a week ago and attempted to get another job.

The insinuation regarding workers still doing essential jobs...which also includes Air Marshal's flying on planes, network security specialists monitoring the nations power grid, and intelligence analysts scouring over reports (but let's focus on zoo keepers)...is also a bit off because how it's operating currently would not be how things would operate under a significantly stripped down government. Why? Because while they're working, many are not getting PAID. So that still creates a load of limbo that would not be there if this was simply business as usual, but with a smaller government.
Click to expand...

I'd argue that the size of government has been shrinking. Non-defense discretionary spending was 5% in the 70's. It's about 3% now, and that's pretty much a floor.
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Is the government shut down?! Damn!

Why don't they tell us about these things?
 
aberrant85 said:
This self-imposed federal government shutdown serves as an experiment in the size of the government. Since Reagan, the conservative position has been that big government is bad for America, while Grover Norquist says he wants government small enough to drown in a bathtub.

The underlying principle being that big government infringes on our liberty.

Now the government is not totally shut down. Essential workers are still at their post, feeding zoo animals, inspecting food, and monitoring the International Space Station. But many highly visible and popular programs have been stopped or only resumed thanks to wealthy patrons or states, while many more invisible programs that turn the gears of government have been gummed up.

With this dramatic drop in Government function, do we feel we have more liberty, or not?
Click to expand...

Kinda the wrong time to ask now. The government still has money. It runs out probably later this week, that is when the impact will really begin, and any one who claims to know what all that impact will entail is fooling themselves.
 
I doubt anyone would want an abrupt shut-down but I would like to see a halt to the endless growth of government powers.

We may never recover from the Patriot Act unless and until there is a huge change in government philosophy.
 
They only shut down what they wanted to shut down.
Cut off SS, EBT, Snap, WIC, unemployment, Obamacare, close all federal buildings, quit paying the military, quit paying pensions then you may see some real action.
Till then its just political theater.
 
There will probably be a few thousand less laws passed this year. That makes me feel more free, or freer, or less cumbersome.
 
How can you be any more free when all the parts of the government that are keeping you from being free are still in place? Nothing has changed that's infringing on people's freedom, it's only the handouts that are temporarily on hold, they're still raking in your tax money, enforcing bad laws, etc.
 
No. I feel like our country isnt doing to hot right now tho.... More people out of work, benefits not being paid, **** aint going to well.
 
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