Difference between revisions of "Small government"
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| − | It is believed by many that making government "smaller", or even dismantling it altogether, will result in a more peaceful and less coercive society. | + | [[category:top]] |
| + | It is believed by many that making government "smaller", or even dismantling it altogether, will result in a more peaceful, more [[freedom|free]] and less coercive society. | ||
The method almost always proposed for accomplishing this is to reduce or eliminate taxes (especially income tax) in order to "starve the (government) beast" of the revenue it needs in order to operate. | The method almost always proposed for accomplishing this is to reduce or eliminate taxes (especially income tax) in order to "starve the (government) beast" of the revenue it needs in order to operate. | ||
What will happen if such initiative succeeds, however, is not ''absence of government'' but ''an oligarchic quasi-government'' that is '''more deeply hierarchical and more coercive''' than what we have at present. This is largely because destroying government will not destroy political power; it will only remove the means by which we attempt to channel political power towards the general good. [[Political power comes from technology]], not from government. | What will happen if such initiative succeeds, however, is not ''absence of government'' but ''an oligarchic quasi-government'' that is '''more deeply hierarchical and more coercive''' than what we have at present. This is largely because destroying government will not destroy political power; it will only remove the means by which we attempt to channel political power towards the general good. [[Political power comes from technology]], not from government. | ||
| − | + | ===Police=== | |
| − | + | When police departments are deprived of funds, they often begin seeing their job as revenue collection rather than providing a public service.<ref name=newsweek /> | |
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==Related== | ==Related== | ||
* [[Republican Party/small government]]: the Republicans seem to be simply exploiting the popularity of small government ideals for their own gain. | * [[Republican Party/small government]]: the Republicans seem to be simply exploiting the popularity of small government ideals for their own gain. | ||
| − | + | * Some myths about small government: | |
| − | + | ** {{l/sub|government is the source of all political power|myths}} | |
| − | * | + | ** {{l/sub|government is the source of all oppression|myths}} |
| + | ** {{l/sub|government has a monopoly on force|myths}} | ||
| + | ** {{l/sub|monopolies would not exist without government|myths}} | ||
==Links== | ==Links== | ||
===Reference=== | ===Reference=== | ||
* {{issuepedia}} | * {{issuepedia}} | ||
| + | ===News=== | ||
| + | <references> | ||
| + | <ref name=newsweek>'''2015-03-04''' [http://www.newsweek.com/justice-department-ferguson-minorities-civil-rights-311294 Ferguson Police, Courts Violated Minorities' Civil Rights, Justice Department Says] ([http://alleninsight.com/2015/04/05/black-lives-matter-needs-a-super-pac/ h/t]) ''The DOJ's report includes recommendations for fixing the department. They focus on policing and court policies "so that they are based on public safety instead of revenue." The DOJ calls for improved training and oversight and reduction of racial bias. In addition, the DOJ is demanding that Ferguson end its "overreliance on arrest warrants as a means of collecting fines."'' | ||
| + | </ref> | ||
| + | </references> | ||
===Discussion=== | ===Discussion=== | ||
* '''2014-07-31''' [https://plus.google.com/u/0/102282887764745350285/posts/PGA8cKJChDQ (reshare of James Carville meme/quote)] | * '''2014-07-31''' [https://plus.google.com/u/0/102282887764745350285/posts/PGA8cKJChDQ (reshare of James Carville meme/quote)] | ||
** You can't just make political power go away. If you try to shrink it in one place (e.g. "defunding" or otherwise disempowering the federal government), it grows in other places -- corporations take over, or local warlords/fatcats take over, because there's nothing to stop them. | ** You can't just make political power go away. If you try to shrink it in one place (e.g. "defunding" or otherwise disempowering the federal government), it grows in other places -- corporations take over, or local warlords/fatcats take over, because there's nothing to stop them. | ||
** if you just "defund" the government as a whole, the parts you like are going to be the first parts to go, and the parts we all hate will take over. Why? Because those are the parts that benefit the special interests -- the Big Money Entities who are increasingly in control of the process and who will make sure the most oppressive and awful parts are maintained even as the democratic process is "defunded" and destroyed. | ** if you just "defund" the government as a whole, the parts you like are going to be the first parts to go, and the parts we all hate will take over. Why? Because those are the parts that benefit the special interests -- the Big Money Entities who are increasingly in control of the process and who will make sure the most oppressive and awful parts are maintained even as the democratic process is "defunded" and destroyed. | ||
Revision as of 17:38, 5 April 2015
It is believed by many that making government "smaller", or even dismantling it altogether, will result in a more peaceful, more free and less coercive society.
The method almost always proposed for accomplishing this is to reduce or eliminate taxes (especially income tax) in order to "starve the (government) beast" of the revenue it needs in order to operate.
What will happen if such initiative succeeds, however, is not absence of government but an oligarchic quasi-government that is more deeply hierarchical and more coercive than what we have at present. This is largely because destroying government will not destroy political power; it will only remove the means by which we attempt to channel political power towards the general good. Political power comes from technology, not from government.
Police
When police departments are deprived of funds, they often begin seeing their job as revenue collection rather than providing a public service.[1]
Related
- Republican Party/small government: the Republicans seem to be simply exploiting the popularity of small government ideals for their own gain.
- Some myths about small government:
Links
Reference
News
- ↑ 2015-03-04 Ferguson Police, Courts Violated Minorities' Civil Rights, Justice Department Says (h/t) The DOJ's report includes recommendations for fixing the department. They focus on policing and court policies "so that they are based on public safety instead of revenue." The DOJ calls for improved training and oversight and reduction of racial bias. In addition, the DOJ is demanding that Ferguson end its "overreliance on arrest warrants as a means of collecting fines."
Discussion
- 2014-07-31 (reshare of James Carville meme/quote)
- You can't just make political power go away. If you try to shrink it in one place (e.g. "defunding" or otherwise disempowering the federal government), it grows in other places -- corporations take over, or local warlords/fatcats take over, because there's nothing to stop them.
- if you just "defund" the government as a whole, the parts you like are going to be the first parts to go, and the parts we all hate will take over. Why? Because those are the parts that benefit the special interests -- the Big Money Entities who are increasingly in control of the process and who will make sure the most oppressive and awful parts are maintained even as the democratic process is "defunded" and destroyed.