Current Events > Republicans: "we believe in small government"

(+) Yeah! (+)

Also Republicans: *crazy spending on the military and police*

Please stop taking them at face value.
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Republicans: "We're pro-life!"
Also Republicans: "Fuck universal healthcare."
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You're missing what they mean by "Small Government"

Small government doesn't mean no courts, police force or military. You're confusing Republicans with Anarchists.

Small Government means government that doesn't meddle in the affairs of everyday life. So very loose tax laws, high levels of personal freedom, privatized healthcare, at will employment, businsess rights, few restrictions on schools or gun ownership.

For example in the UK the government requires that all children use booster seats in cars until they are 12.

A US conservative would find that ridiclous.

RchHomieQuanChi posted...

Republicans: "We're pro-life!"
Also Republicans: "Fuck universal healthcare."

This isn't a contradiction....
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They haven't talked much about small government since Trump became the face of the party

I wonder why...
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Government so small it can fit in your bedroom
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Doom_Art posted...

Government so small it can fit in your bedroom

You can always fit me in your bedroom ;)
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UnfairRepresent posted...

You're missing what they mean by "Small Government"

Small government doesn't mean no courts, police force or military. You're confusing Republicans with Anarchists.

Small Government means government that doesn't meddle in the affairs of everyday life. So very loose tax laws, high levels of personal freedom, privatized healthcare, at will employment, businsess rights, few restrictions on schools or gun ownership.

For example in the UK the government requires that all children use booster seats in cars until they are 12.

A US conservative would find that ridiclous.

RchHomieQuanChi posted...

Republicans: "We're pro-life!"
Also Republicans: "Fuck universal healthcare."

This isn't a contradiction....

I want to comment on the booster seats thing... I work with an 8 year old who is too 'big' for a booster seat. I don't understand that regulation as booster seats are rated by weight and height; not age...
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I think you're confusing Republicans with Libertarians.

Conservatives and liberals are by definition for large government, just in different places.

Libertarians are the only ones just flat across the board "for small government".

MaverickXeo posted...

I want to comment on the booster seats thing... I work with an 8 year old who is too 'big' for a booster seat. I don't understand that regulation as booster seats are rated by weight and height; not age...

In fairness I believe there is an exception if the child is 5 feet tall.

I don't think there is an exception for being fat tho.
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Republicans only believe in small hands
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UnfairRepresent posted...

MaverickXeo posted...

I want to comment on the booster seats thing... I work with an 8 year old who is too 'big' for a booster seat. I don't understand that regulation as booster seats are rated by weight and height; not age...

In fairness I believe there is an exception if the child is 5 feet tall.

I don't think there is an exception for being fat tho.

So it wouldn't be safe then - leading the idea that less government is 'right' in this case.
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UnfairRepresent posted...

This isn't a contradiction....

Believing everyone should have the right to live then denying them the ability to get proper treatment once they're born is definitely a contradiction.
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The republicans want a little tiny government.

So tiny.

The Republican government:


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"We're pro-life! ...But fuck those social programs that help you care for the kid we're forcing you to have."
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MaverickXeo posted...

So it wouldn't be safe then - leading the idea that less government is 'right' in this case.

Exactly.

Which is why I used it as an example.

Well that and the fact it's something no one can pretend to be offended by.

A liberal will say "No, The government needs to ensure kids are safe from dangerous parents."
A Conservative will say "No, that's up to me/the parents. Keep government the fuck out of it."

And they both have valid points about small/big government.

Neither are about military or courts or police which both support.
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RchHomieQuanChi posted...

Republicans: "We're pro-life!"
Also Republicans: "Fuck universal healthcare."

Also: "All life is sacred"
And: "We need to kill all terrorists!"

RchHomieQuanChi posted...

UnfairRepresent posted...

This isn't a contradiction....

Believing everyone should have the right to live then denying them the ability to get proper treatment once they're born is definitely a contradiction.

Right first off, conservatives believe that privatized healthcare leads to better stances of care than universial.

Secondly, even if they didn't: That still wouldn't be a contradiction. "I want you to have to be alive but once you''re alive I don't want to have to pay for your x-rays. That's up to you." is a valid stance.

Solar_Crimson posted...

"We're pro-life! ...But fuck those social programs that help you care for the kid we're forcing you to have."

This isn't a contradiction.
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My post is being drowned out in the idiocy here.

Republicans don't say they're for small government across the board, they use it contextually. You are all fabricating hypocrisy.

Jesus, did your example of Republican small govt ideals really have to be "it's my right to risk my kid's life if I want to"
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UnfairRepresent posted...

You're missing what they mean by "Small Government"

Small government doesn't mean no courts, police force or military. You're confusing Republicans with Anarchists.

Small Government means government that doesn't meddle in the affairs of everyday life.

Don't gay marry!
Don't do drugs!
Stand for the flag!

Such personal freedom. Wow.
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I'm curious, are there examples of Donald Trump talking about "small government?" I don't think it's something he does often, if at all. I think that's reflective in general of the GOP base who put him in power.
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lilORANG posted...

Don't gay marry!
Don't do drugs!

Yeah I'm with you on this. It's hypocritical of conservatives to have opposed these things.

Also enviromentism. It's madness that being for conserving the enviroment is the LIBERAL stance and being for wasting and fucking up the enviroment is the conservative stance.

That shit is backwards

Stand for the flag!

I don't believe any Republican has called for laws to make it illegal to not stand for the flag.
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RoboLaserGandhi posted...

Libertarians are the only ones just flat across the board "for small government".

even that's not true, they just dont like the label of government. the ideal libertarian utopia would have countries run by corporations.
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monkmith posted...

RoboLaserGandhi posted...

Libertarians are the only ones just flat across the board "for small government".

even that's not true, they just dont like the label of government. the ideal libertarian utopia would have countries run by corporations.

I don't think libertarians want corporate run police, armies and courts.

Again you're mixing them up with Anarchists.

I know a lot of Libertarians and I've never met one who was opposed to the concept of a fair trial.
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Antifar posted...

I'm curious, are there examples of Donald Trump talking about "small government?" I don't think it's something he does often, if at all. I think that's reflective in general of the GOP base who put him in power; "small government" isn't really the goal that animates them.

I would argue the whole, "drain the swamp" narrative was essentially this, combined with the 'wasteful democrats' narrative. It's not directly small government, but the idea that there is a huge amount of politicians leeching of the system and a kafkaesque bureaucratic system that is wasting tax payer money sort of leads to a single conclusion that the government needs to be shrunk.

SuperShowerBros posted...

Also Republicans: *crazy spending on the military and police*

Republicans don't give two shits about funding domestic police. They just get all the useless crap the military doesn't want that the Congress keeps buying.
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UnfairRepresent posted...

monkmith posted...

RoboLaserGandhi posted...

Libertarians are the only ones just flat across the board "for small government".

even that's not true, they just dont like the label of government. the ideal libertarian utopia would have countries run by corporations.

I don't think libertarians want corporate run police, armies and courts.

Again you're mixing them up with Anarchists.

I know a lot of Libertarians and I've never met one who was opposed to the concept of a fair trial.

they're opposed to the concept of government regulation. the end point of a libertarian agenda is always going to be a corporatocracy, because in their utopia the ones that make the rules are the ones with the most money.
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monkmith posted...

UnfairRepresent posted...

monkmith posted...

RoboLaserGandhi posted...

Libertarians are the only ones just flat across the board "for small government".

even that's not true, they just dont like the label of government. the ideal libertarian utopia would have countries run by corporations.

I don't think libertarians want corporate run police, armies and courts.

Again you're mixing them up with Anarchists.

I know a lot of Libertarians and I've never met one who was opposed to the concept of a fair trial.

they're opposed to the concept of government regulation. the end point of a libertarian agenda is always going to be a corporatocracy, because in their utopia the ones that make the rules are the ones with the most money.

That's the ultimate effect, not the ideal.

Regardless, why are we judging ideologies by their absolute extremes rather than what they're actually like in practice? (Rhetorical question -- it's because we're on CE!)