Anything bloated is bad. Gluttony is, afterall, one of the seven deadly sins. But then so so bloated corporations that get away with some serious violations of law because the government looks the other way.
This argument of "big government" is bad, is a lot of republican crap. No economy that enjoys the benefits of a globalized economy can sustain a small government anymore, of only because the demands of economic policy and participation in a global economy requires a bureaucracy capable of managing it. You like the cheap goods from Walmart? Do you realize that the US imports virtually all manufactured goods that you use from abroad? And the fact that we are importing poisonous food from China is a consequence of weak government oversight.
Everyone bitches an moans about government, but everyone forgets two things-
(1) that government is essential for the creation of the markets. A market is essentially an act of collective action and a public good, that would not be possible without a government to regulate it. On a more personal level, what government functions would you like to do without- protection of the food and drugs you consume so that you are not poisoned- FDA. Safe airways, railways and highways- Department of the Treasury. Protection of the environment- EPA. Defense? Foreign Affairs? Monetary regulation? Guarantees that fraud doesn't happen on stock exchanges? That your bank deposits are safe? Seriously- don't you realize that the quality of life you enjoy depends on the government that provides you these services.
And what happens when the government contracts- well lets look at the Iraq war and how so much of the money being wasted on that war is spent on government contractors who provide virtually all the services necessary to sustain our army. And now we can't fight that war because its because its becoming too expensive and our army is exhausted? How? How much fucking money can those contractors suck up.
Which leads to the second thing people forget-
(2) Power hates a vacuum. If government did not provide the oversight and public services that make your life so wonderful, someone else would- and because the state doesn't exist, those someone's would take advantage of their market power to extract as much money from your wallet as they could.
This is why weak states often lead state collapse in the worst cases. In our case, the weakness of our state means we can't get shit done.
Seriously- Iraq- we've lost 3,000 soldiers there. That's nothing. We lost more on 9/11, we lost more on Omaha beach and we lost nearly 20 times that amount in Vietnam. No, the reason we pull out is because the war is too expensive. Why- private contractors.
Personally, I think those guilty of corporate crimes belong on deathrow. Government contractors guilty of corruption are guilty of treason.
And you blame bloated government? That bullshit came up during Reagan, who gave us a huge deficit that we're still paying for. Now Bush, another person who talks bloated government, is increasing our debt for the next generation to pay for.
Why?
You guys blame government, but government doesn't have brain of its own, act on its own accord or even have consciousness. While I might accept the notion of a bureaucratic class loyal to its own perogatives, that class is dependent on other classes in a democracy.
The question is what class controls? Government's are institutions, but those institutions are created by social groups that fight over political dominance and the distribution of wealth.
So when the government gives money to private corporations like KBR and Halliburton and other contractors to fight a war in Iraq, and at the same time fails to provide our guys the equipment they need or cuts funding for education, or reduces its protection of our environment, or derugulates so that companies can get away with more bad behavior- who suffers.
Not the companies, but you and me.
Who had benefitted from the tax cuts?
Not the poor and middle class but the rich and powerful?
Is it any wonder that the level of economic inequality between rich and poor in the US is almost the same as Turkmenistan and Cambodia?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality
And things are not getting better. 85% of the US is lower middle or worse-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_of_living_in_the_United_States
So Prez, while you are happy living with your insurance card, and .45 next to you, you should also realize that the US is rapidly falling apart and the debt that W gives you will hang over your children's children's head like the blade of the grim reaper.
Honestly, the thing that pisses me most about this bullshit is that it often comes from young people who haven't worked an honest day in their life.
Think about it- A college grad at 25 is making about $32K. After taxes you are probably talking $25 take home. Education debt (because you federal grants for education have been cut) for a lot of college grads is upwards of $50. Figure that you pay about $120 per $10K of debt means that you are paying out $600 a month in school debts ($7,200 per year). Rent is around another $800 per month ($9,600). Food and utilities will run you around $700 per month- ($8,400). Total- about $25,200 per year. Not much surplus after that is there?
And you want to cut back on the few public services the government affords you?
Oh and alot of those public services are being privatized to non-government groups- like having prisons run by corporations, highways run by construction firms, education run by churches.
You don't think those groups love the idea of small government. Small government means more money to them. In the meantime, we, tax payers, lose out. Those folks, much like the private contractors that support our troops, are not accountable to anyone except those that own them.
Oh and why is the government so bloated? Perhaps because much of its budget is spent on paying off its debts- bonds and borrowing. Why is the debt so high- because the government doesn't want to tax the rich.
Congrats- welcome to america- who controls? Bush's base isn't the top 1% but the top .1% of the population. They get tax breaks, you get fucked.
And what do the rich want? To stay rich and if that means fucking you out of every dime, that's exactly what they will do.
And because they have privileged access to the state- becuase W talks to the rich but drives past the poor, they get to control what the government does. Not you and me.
So much for American democracy.
[PCE said:
el_Prez]Have you ever thought that most of the people saying "America is the greatest" actually ARE content? I think the good majority of Americans are content with the way things are. There are some people - most likely poorer individuals - who think America is in turmoil becuase they can't afford health insurance.
In America today if you have a good job and can afford many of the luxiuries those with money can afford - you are just enjoying capatalism - whats wrong with that?
Prez, as much as I like being an American, I think its very foolish for Americans to wave a flag around the world and claim we're the greatest thing since Swiss Cheese when we have such huge problems in our country.
I wish it were true, but its not. We're not the best country in the world in terms of standard of living and we're damn awful when it comes to education and our inequalities are huge. And they're not getting better, not with the Republicans in office (and the Democrats are not much better).
So instead of jumping on a stump and claiming "we're the best" I would rather we, as a country, shut the fuck up and actually do it. But that's not happening. Instead, we're getting our asses kicked in Iraq by a bunch of third world religious whackos because our government was too arrogant and foolish to plan for a war carefully.
We're going to blame Bush for this. But its not all Bush's fault. He might be the single biggest asshole we've had as president in 100 years, but he's too fucking stupid to have screwed this up on his own. No, the problem systemic. We need to fix our problems at home.
I am also a capitalist, but uncontrolled capitalism is a recipe of exploitation and tyranny. To argue that against control of the state is to abandon the role of government in preserving the quality of life over everyone, and to assure that those principles that we have as Americans are maintained.
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happines. The right equality under law and all the other civil liberties that we enjoy and the benefits that we pay taxes for, deserve to be upheld and protected. Not just for the rich and powerful, but for everybody.
I love being an American. There is no country I'd rather be a part of. But frankly, if American's can't open their eyes and see how fucked up things are getting in their own country, then they deserve a world in which China and Russia call the shots.
Sorry. I guess, to summarise, I do agree with most of his points, but I feel his backround and presentation will not sell people on his cause who are not already on board. Though I think this movie was a little less left-wing (I am a bit to the left, for what it's worth) since it's not directly supposed to influence an election or anything.
