The Sophistication Of Big Government
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
Government’s spending other people’s money in order to finance the ability to acquire more money that’s not theirs is a sophisticated concept we’re supposed to buy into without question. Those who can’t find enough ways to tax or acquire greater amounts from the taxes that do exist think of themselves as being “progressive”. Those who believe that the individuals and business enterprises who earn their money should be allowed to keep and invest the money they earn are portrayed as quite a bit less than worthy.
As I continue to learn from my reading of David McCullough’s biography of John Adams, the struggle to define the role of government has been an on-going pendulum since the nation’s beginning. Thanks to the influence of Alexander Hamilton and his ability to sell the idea of a central government debt load, the principles of the federal government being an end to itself was established. Against this “federalists” perspective, Thomas Jefferson and his colleagues of the mindset of individual liberty pressed their vision for limited government.
Over time, as the federal government grew to become the behemoth it is today and as state governments have sought to copy Big Brother’s command and control tactics, as opposed to exercising their rightful responsibilities as identified in the U.S. Constitution – the role of government (at all levels) being the reason for the sun coming up has become locked in the minds of those who sit in the seats of authority.
During the 2009 Nevada Legislature, leaders of the majority party (Assembly and Senate) made it quite clear that they viewed the economic hardships of the private sector to be of no consequence when it came to the requirement of government getting its due. When they apologized to public employees and others who receive government funds for needing to make minimal reductions (some of which haven’t actually been reduced) and slam-dunked a tax increase through without a second thought…their attitude of who works for who became quite evident.
Today we see that they can’t get their hands on money quick enough to “study” the next phase of how to grow Nevada government through good times or bad. We also see the likely gubernatorial standard bearer for the same party sharing his vision for what Nevada should become, with government as the central force in building the kind of state that if we are sophisticated enough and progressive enough to accept, we might be worthy enough to receive.
Ideas of government taking care of all our needs – or at least the needs of the growing multitudes of those who have not – currently hold the position of power, enforcing their will of taking from those who have earned their resources to redistribute for those determined to be the worthy recipients – this in spite of the reality (as clearly explained here) that government can only give what it first takes. If we should continue to go forward in this manner, it will be interesting to see how the distributions will be made as the government-caused burdens of support force more to have not… Boy, won’t we be superior and cultured then!
Government’s spending other people’s money in order to finance the ability to acquire more money that’s not theirs is a sophisticated concept we’re supposed to buy into without question. Those who can’t find enough ways to tax or acquire greater amounts from the taxes that do exist think of themselves as being “progressive”. Those who believe that the individuals and business enterprises who earn their money should be allowed to keep and invest the money they earn are portrayed as quite a bit less than worthy.
As I continue to learn from my reading of David McCullough’s biography of John Adams, the struggle to define the role of government has been an on-going pendulum since the nation’s beginning. Thanks to the influence of Alexander Hamilton and his ability to sell the idea of a central government debt load, the principles of the federal government being an end to itself was established. Against this “federalists” perspective, Thomas Jefferson and his colleagues of the mindset of individual liberty pressed their vision for limited government.
Over time, as the federal government grew to become the behemoth it is today and as state governments have sought to copy Big Brother’s command and control tactics, as opposed to exercising their rightful responsibilities as identified in the U.S. Constitution – the role of government (at all levels) being the reason for the sun coming up has become locked in the minds of those who sit in the seats of authority.
During the 2009 Nevada Legislature, leaders of the majority party (Assembly and Senate) made it quite clear that they viewed the economic hardships of the private sector to be of no consequence when it came to the requirement of government getting its due. When they apologized to public employees and others who receive government funds for needing to make minimal reductions (some of which haven’t actually been reduced) and slam-dunked a tax increase through without a second thought…their attitude of who works for who became quite evident.
Today we see that they can’t get their hands on money quick enough to “study” the next phase of how to grow Nevada government through good times or bad. We also see the likely gubernatorial standard bearer for the same party sharing his vision for what Nevada should become, with government as the central force in building the kind of state that if we are sophisticated enough and progressive enough to accept, we might be worthy enough to receive.
Ideas of government taking care of all our needs – or at least the needs of the growing multitudes of those who have not – currently hold the position of power, enforcing their will of taking from those who have earned their resources to redistribute for those determined to be the worthy recipients – this in spite of the reality (as clearly explained here) that government can only give what it first takes. If we should continue to go forward in this manner, it will be interesting to see how the distributions will be made as the government-caused burdens of support force more to have not… Boy, won’t we be superior and cultured then!
Posted by Doug Busselman at 10/14/2009 5:43 AM 
Categories: Government
Tags: Nevada Redistribution of Wealth Tax and Spend
Categories: Government
Tags: Nevada Redistribution of Wealth Tax and Spend
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