I’ve written many articles on Big Government. But here, I want to try to put the most pertinent facts about big government in one place, so that there can be no misunderstandings.
Many people are distrustful of government, of both major political parties. And yet, there are definite distinctions between these parties as to their beliefs and actions.
To me, it is unfair to brand both major parties alike. Since the days of the New Deal and the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democratic party has developed great movements toward Socialism, and strong tendencies to change or destroy Constitutional rules that would benefit all people. Folks, this is a fact, based upon real historical events of record in our society. For a moment, please, try to view these government tendencies by the facts, rather than by merely believing smooth talking rhetoric or emotion.
The Republican party has definitely tended toward government according to the Founding Fathers and our Constitution, even though far from perfectly at all times (and we see of late that there are also Republicans who will fight to sustain big government and keep the status quo).
Now, the factual difference is simply this: bigger government, Socialism, and veering away from our country’s founding principles is wrong and has never worked. A wise person can surely see that policies which fail should no longer be followed. So that really should, for the time being, send us, as citizens, way beyond just Republican and Democrat.
It will be impossible for me or anyone to cover all the circumstances in one piece of dialogue – but allow me to proceed.
The middle class of the U.S.A. has been profoundly affected (negatively) by the advent of Socialistic and big government tendencies; and, we see today, that lack of good jobs (and good-paying jobs) is one of the sad results. However, all that the public heard from our Socialistic government (under Obama) is that ‘progress is being made’. The Feds even took credit for job creation that their own rules had discouraged; this job creation only came about because of the proactive legislation of a few states.
Let’s define the middle class. Most might say that earnings should define them; however, there are other factors that should be considered. Tops in earnings for a middle class person could be $250,000. That, in my view, would be much higher than a norm or medium income. In addition to income, I would add that most of the middle class has similar characteristics such as the willingness to work hard, risk-taking, and responsibility, and knowing when to take advantage of opportunities, if so presented.
The U.S. Constitution provides (Section 8) that the Congress shall have power to collect taxes, duties, imports and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the U.S. citizens.
Furthermore, the Declaration of Independence, long considered to have equal authority with the Constitution of the United States, says this:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident – that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destruction of these ends, it is the RIGHT of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its power in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”
Now, let recollect what has happened under Democratic party government whenever the House and Senate had the majority. The Constitutional clause – The General Welfare – has been fundamentally enlarged to the breaking point – by enlarging the central government, and so promoting the monstrosity of big bloated government at the cost of the loss of individual freedom.
Let’s break this down. The bigger your government becomes, the more money is spent, the more government intrudes into your individual life, the more social programs the government creates, and the fewer freedoms each person really has. Why? Because the more government giveaways, the less freedom you have. You are caught up in a vote-buying system which promotes the government giveaways at the expense of individual choice, a direct premise of our Constitution. And be assured – these are not truly “giveaways” – every penny will be sucked from our wallets through increased taxes! All of us ought to cherish individual choice, and the pride and dignity that goes with it.
Now let me just list for you the most, but not all, of the problems of bigger government so that we can clearly see them:
(1) Big government has a definite tendency to become bigger. Those in power have, and certainly enjoy, more and more control over your lives.
(2) Big government must, of necessity, become even larger (and more intrusive into our lives) because it must perpetuate itself, promising more benefits and thus controlling more of your life.
(3) The bigger the government, the more rulers must be in place to manage the affairs of government over your personal life. Obama calls them Czars (a Russian concept), ruling over your affairs – UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS who will do the bidding of big government. Now these UNelected bureaucrats are unknown, unelected, nameless, faceless, unavailable to the public, and unaccountable to the people at large. You cannot know them – you will not know them – because they are part of the bigger government, not the people.
(4) Big government always results in fewer freedoms for the common man, and fewer choices within the few freedoms that remain. Why? Because you, the voter, the common man, are NOT running things any longer.
(5) Big government has to intrude into people’s personal lives – they have no other place to go in order to expand. People may realize some day what has happened and what should be done about it, but such realization often comes too late.
(6) Deficit spending promotes bigger and bigger government, since government giveaways and choosing winners is their strategy- in order to become bigger in influence.
(7) Bigger government denies individual dignity and working towards new accomplishments and a better life. Instead, we have had a middle class that is restricted, downgraded, and literally dared to attempt to rise above – in money, in influence, and in any other way. And furthermore, many of the previously labeled “middle class” are now in the poor class in terms of money and income.
(8) Big government always ends up in involving itself in areas of life where it has no business. The size alone of big government makes such government inefficient in handling such matters.
(9) Big governmenet involves itself in matters which the Constitution proves belong to the states. The people have a much louder voice in matters decided on the state level. States will listen. Big government hasn’t and won’t.
(10) Big government teaches people to be dependent who need not be so. “Oh, dear, good ol’ Uncle Sam will bail us out.” I hear that a lot. Very dependent citizens cannot then individually rise to to the occasion when bad things happen: economic woes, terrorism, overly zealous schemes that go wrong, etc. They sadly put their own well-being in the greedy paws of the government.
(11) Bigger and bigger government will, the long run, collapse under its own weight. Borrowing from China and other nations, puts the person loaning the money (or the country) in a position to demand more in repayment, or to take over parts of our economy.
Now, let us briefly discuss what things central government should be involved in and why, and some of the things that central (Federal Government) should NOT be involved in and why.
Tall order, you say? Not really.
In my considered opinion, government must be responsible for things that people and states should not be involved in.
Of necessity, Declaration of War or martial law, or any kind of political action involving other countries, and the carrying out of war, if necessary, are jobs belonging to the Federal Government through proper channels provided in our Founding documents.
Protection of our borders – all of our borders – from all enemies and illegal people seeking to enter.
The government must be responsible for laws and regulations that promote the general welfare in this precise fashion: providing for a level playing field for people and businesses, and equal chance to succeed. There can be no exceptions, special favors, or cronyism here.
Government must provide for the most opportunity for individual freedom, an individual pursuit of happiness and gain, and in so doing, employ, employ the fewest regulations possible to ensure safety and fairness.
Keep Out, Big Government!
An example of things the government should stay out of would be education, health services, etc. There are no doubt other areas as well.
The only thing government should do concerning education should be to advocate that the states require the teaching of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence – in all schools.
This latter would insure that our Constitution is upheld, and our country would become and would maintain itself as the finest form of government known to man.
And now, to wind up our message – any type of government that teaches and preaches government dependency beyond that of necessity to help to the sick and disabled is opening the gates of disaster for the individual and the trashing of his God-given rights.
If we elect or allow law-makers, holders of positions of trust, including Senators, Congressmen and Presidents, to practice liberal policies (big government policies), we will have allowed our beloved country to disintegrate and to eventually disappear.
America, the U.S.A., as it was originally, was Constituted to be the best form of government on earth. It can be restored to that again, but time is running out. Will you be part of this great, important, revival – at whatever the cost?
I hope so!! I don’t like saying: “Too late!!”
– Written by Bill Figley,
Professional Musician, Student of Government and of Politics
Navy Veteran W.W. II
