Conservative Values

So let me get this straight: We don't want government in our lives or government to run anything. So that leaves, I'm assuming, the corporations to run everything and perhaps the military to run the rest. Isn't that what happened in Italy and Germany?

Government is set up to help the people. Unless you've never needed a business license, a school, a road, a fire or police department, a court, a post office etc. etc. People seem to forget that private corporations aren't set up to be the government. Yet conservatives keep touting the need for less government.

Love less government? Then you must love our current gas prices, food prices, healthcare costs, sub par educational system, Enron, mortgage mess and insert your other free-market success story. Government can actually help keep these things in check but there's a lot of people out there who would rather bask in all this wonderfulness.

P.S. In this country the government is you. If the country fails it's your fault.

Checks and Balances

The reason the founding fathers set up three separate but co-equal branches of government is that they understood that their were certain people that would get in power who would try to eliminate this separation and abuse the limits of their power.

Checks and balances means no one party or belief trumps all others. You arrive at decisions as a consensus. This prevents radicalism in any one direction. Sadly, there has been very little checking or balancing the last seven years, just a lot of moving to the right. Just remember what kind of government you get when you move all the way to the right.

Fear and Hysteria

Fear tends to impel people to action. I'm glad our leaders don't prey on our fears to get us to act certain ways. At least not in this country. Except for all that stuff they do to keep us scared and compliant. The old, "We're keeping you safe." Safe from what? Oh right, knowledge and openness.

Just think of how scared rich folks are of that bogeyman that is going to step in and steal all their stuff. It's also the same as people being scared of attacks on our country from groups that could never destroy it. Bogeymen are amazing motivational tools because people lose their wits when they are frightened.

One great question to ask is, "Why is that person doing what they are doing?" Another is, "Who benefits from the action?" A third one should be, "Where do I get the information I base my decisions on?"

Afraid of the Government

Somewhere along the way people either became incredibly selfish or very afraid of government. What's the big deal? Government can either help or hurt middle class guy working hard for a living. The proof is always in the results. Government can make it easier to raise a family, pay bills, get health care, feel safe, gasoline prices, milk prices, and many other necessities of life. It can actually help working folks but it depends on the philosophy of who is running the government. The problem is that people have been sold on the fact that government can't do anything by people who don't believe in government in the first place. It's done by people who want you to believe that business can do everything better.

Always ask yourself, "Is someone selling me this government proposal because they have something to gain or because it will help me and my family." That will help you determine whether the government program helps regular folks or hurts them. It also helps to not get information from people who have a personal interest or profit motive in one position. Rush Limbaugh is not going to sell you on bigger government because he has nothing to gain from it.

Everything is Bad for You

Everything seems to be bad for you or get you sick nowadays. If it hasn't been found to be toxic just wait a while. That's why I like to kiss rats. At least if I get sick I'll know who I got it from.