And Now, For Something Else

[kkglinka]

A confession: I find the belief that gov't ought to be small or minimalistic to be laughable at best, and a naive product of a secure upbringing. When there is no substantial gov't, and every man is for himself, the world is a terrifying, cruel, unforgiving place in which very few thrive and almost everyone suffers. It seems to me, to hold

Comments

[d_benway]

Indeed.

There is a great book by Gary Wills on the hatred of government by Americans (A Necessary Evil) and the self-harming nature of this hatred which should be required reading for all those who feel tempted by libertarian tendencies. I have never understood this way of thinking, and must conclude that it can only be held by those who are somewhat disconnected from history and who are lacking in knowledge of the large-scale social and economic structures around them.

Re: Government

[kkglinka]

I just know too much world history. Every time, over and over again, a small government that provides few services, concentrating power in a small group of people = horrific. The folks in power get all the goods and services, the general population is left to fend for itself and can't. This form of gov't resulted in all those revolutions and uprisings we read about today and where ever it still exists, it's the same situation.

You don't even need to read a history book; just turn on BBC World News or CNN. Small governments just plain suck and consume just as many resources as large governments, because they have the power to take them. Large, inclusive governments, burdened by responsibilities to civil welfare, work through the sheer expediency of including those whom they govern within their structure. Dog Communism all you like, but there's a reason by China remains such a powerblock: Everyone's involved