Reagan said: "Government is the problem". That isn't accurate

What hysterics.

Chill, dude. Life is short.

 

Oh, please, and let the bellyaching by Biden's naysayers begin, that's what y'all do best.

The middle east is a quagmire in many regions. And the term 'quagmire' is being polite, had I let my emotion get the better of me, I could easily find much worse and less politically correct pejoratives. The middle east is a quagmire. Every president prior to Biden knew this, and they also knew that pulling out of Afghanistan completely invited the risk of tragic mishaps, even when every contingency can be thought of, it's a quagmire and **** happens as it always does in the ME, tragic mishaps of which Biden is now facing and having to take responsibility for, noting that Biden is, indeed, doing just that, and that is the reason prior presidents did not pull out, is because they didn't have the courage to do it with this knowledge, they kicked the can further down the road. Trump did the same. He didn't get it done, just as he didn't get infrastructure done or get Mexico to pay for the wall.

Only Biden had this courage, and there republicans sit, after backing the most heinous, corrupt, criminal and incompetent president in history, a president whose transgressions are now the subject of dozens of books, a president who, by virtue of undermining confidence in Democracy to some 65 million Americans, Trump has done more damage to America than Putin could have ever wished for, and now Republicans have the gall to accuse Biden of incompetence, noting that Trump struck a peace deal with the Taliban which called for sanctions to be lifted, U.S. troops to be out by May, and 5,000 Taliban prisoners to be released, and on top of that, he invited the Taliban leaders to Camp David, one of whom was Abdul Ghani Barador, the Taliban leader whom Trump had gotten freed from a Pakistani Jail three years prior.

Yeah, there's a lot of hypocrisy in Washington, no doubt there is plenty to go around, but Republicans have taken hypocrisy to soaring new heights.

In short, The opposite of what Biden's detractors are alleging about Biden is true. Biden will go down in history as one of the great presidents in the modern era. Is every move he made perfect? No. But no president is free from mistakes. Let's not forget that Biden has gotten over 120,000 airlifted out of Afghanistan in a very short period of time and lets not also forget that Afghani army, some 300,000 of them, far more than exist in the Taliban, refused to defend their country. No way could we, as a nation, continue to defend Afghanistan when they are not willing to fight for their own country. The real tragedy is that the war in Afghanistan has lasted for 20 years. Was the evacuation perfect? No, but, again, I repeat, the ME is a quagmire, and this idea some other president, the one who couldn't get infrastructure done and Mexico to pay for the wall, the one who said innumerable dumb things way way way unbecoming of and an affront to the office he occupied, not to mention he couldn't utter a compound sentence if it tried, that he could do better, is a joke of tragic proportions. Therefore, I stand by my president, and commend him for having the courage of his convictions, and not passing the buck to other presidents.

Not to mention:

 

Limiting OUR Government to those 4 areas is absurdly naive.

 

Well you certainly think a work contract is force.

 

You haven't thought it through. I didn't suggest that everything federal government does should disappear. I said it shouldn't be in federal government. Some belongs in the states, some in the private sector and some in the trash can. If we return to a union of states with federal government serving the states instead of serving itself, government is closer to the people and therefore more effective. The states face competition from other states. That is good. Federal government has the ability to concentrate on its most important responsibilities effectively. I'm 77 years old and have watched federal government get worse and worse as it grew. Think it through. It may start making some sense to you. I've been thinking about it for decades.

 

Technically you are correct; I was too broad brush. However it still doesn't work with the government in most cases. They occasionally, maybe even often, do see real problems. However, their fix, unlike a business's fix, most often is directed to what will impress the politicos and the people as opposed to actually fixing the problem. This is predominately the government's response and why the government is the problem. This is true even in government monopolistic activities like war. We haven't correctly fixed a war problem since WWII (maybe Korea). To be current this underpins the present (and past) debacle of Afghanistan.

 

Wow! Well put.

 

Since when did reality become hysterics??

 

Youy miss the point.

Yes big business can have as many problems with mangaement and red tape as any other.

Government on the other hand can force you to acdept their services business cannot.

That is the difference and it is why Reagan was acsolutely correct

 

That long list would need a thread of its own. If you want an example, our tax money is currently being used to promote diabetes!

 

The basic problem is that decisions, despite the appropriateness of their motivation, become political decisions and politics is never ever a good reason to make policy decisions. As an example we can take social spending in general. It is fine to care about people with needs. But creating a social program in federal government to deal with it may help some people. But, at the same time, it ends up redistributing wealth and creating the impression that it is a corrupt practice of buying votes. Most social programs really are motivated by vote buying. When you deal with people unequally you are charged with corruption instead of a warm heart. Basically the federal government should never create social programs. They must treat people equally if they want to avoid a disaster at the polls. There is only so much "equity" the public can take.

 

For obvious starters, the quintessential health insurance for one of thousands.

 

But, if "bigness IS the problem, Doesn't government DEFINE bigness? Millions of employees engaged in virtually every field of endeavor of the country.

How many private organizations have failed to show a profit in decades and yet continue to grow? How many private companies can ORDER the population to buy a specific product?

The biggest problem with government, as Reagan realized, is that they think the can solve any problem with a few more laws, or bureaus or just ordering the people closest to the problem (the public) to take specific actions.

 

Well put.

 

Thank you. I think federal government is basically screwing itself. Equality, truth and efficiency will never get you into trouble. Federal government is always in trouble.

 

Not exactly. The federal government does pretty much what it chooses to do, and it usually screws the people but certainly not themselves. You are correct that equality truth and efficiency won't get one in trouble, but it might not get one elected either.

 

Answer the question.

 

You have a contract with society to follow the laws.

WTFU.

 

would you care to cite some studies to support your assumptions that 'most' government programs are bad (noting there is some subjectivity on that point, as well ) ?

 

Wasn't talking to you.

 

Name some government services you are forced to accept.

 

I asked you this question:

what government services or products are YOU being forced to purchase?

Your comment didn't actually answer the question.

FYI, government tax money is NOT 'your money'.

Per the US Constitution, the government has a legitimate claim on a portion of incomes. That portion, therefore, BELONGS to the government, NOT you.

Therefore, it is NOT your money.

Now then, I repeat, on the portion of your income that is YOURS,

what government services or products are YOU being forced to purchase?

 

No one is forcing you to purchase health insurance from the Government.

Got something else?

 

It's a specious argument. Because the flip side of it is no better. Where there is a problem, do nothing, the free market is the panacea for all of society's ills? That is the 'Reagan solution'. Well, I hate to tell you this, but history doesn't perfectly support that premise, either.

Your logic wanes

 

Nonsense - you eschew logic for ideology. You weak attend at strawmannirg me is pitiful. I'd suggest you comment on history doesn't come close to support the nonsense you're spewing. Free markets and free people have cured far more problems than any of the "solutions" your bunch advocates.