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Whatever government services I rely upon would absolutely become more efficient if they were privatized. I rely on people and markets, not government services.
People rely on other people and markets, and private enterprise whose idea of efficiency isn't to engage in welfare of consumers, much less that of the people/nation. Capitalism doesn't ride on the premise of general welfare, it operates on the grounds of "what is in it for me". And, in real world, that doesn't always translate to betterment of the society.
It is why government exists. To quote James Madison again:
"If men were angels, there would be no need for government"
Think about it.
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Originally Posted by hnsq
We are talking about relying on government agencies at a NATIONAL level. You do realize that fire departments are not a national agency, don't you?
And state governments are immune to all that. Really?
Fire departments were privatized at one point. Read about the history of it and see how well it worked out.
The problem with privatized fire is that a fire on your neighbors property can spread to yours. So if your neighbor has a fire, and is not signed up for service, it puts you at risk. Hence the necessity of socialized fire service.
But that principle does not apply to so many things that gov't has it's fingers in nowadays--everything from pro sports stadiums to card swipe fees at retail stores.
People rely on other people and markets, and private enterprise whose idea of efficiency isn't to engage in welfare of consumers, much less that of the people/nation. Capitalism doesn't ride on the premise of general welfare, it operates on the grounds of "what is in it for me". And, in real world, that doesn't always translate to betterment of the society.
It is why government exists. To quote James Madison again:
"If men were angels, there would be no need for government"
Think about it.
The role of government is not to be a parent for people. The role of government is to protect basic freedoms. A free market economy is held up because of the other person's greed. If a company starts becoming greedy, someone will see that and sees an opportunity to draw customers away by branding themselves as the 'honest alternative'. The new company thrives and the old company fails. The other person's greed is what drives capitalism. The problem with government agencies is that they cannot go away. Take social security - it provides deplorable returns. Private investment has outpaced social security by leaps and bounds, but we still cannot get rid of it. If I could prove I have a financial product that gives people twice as much money in retirement as social security, there is not a way for me to enact my new system. That is the failure of government.
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And state governments are immune to all that. Really?
Obviously not...when did I say this?
A state government is obviously going to be better than a national government, and a local government is obviously going to be better than a state government. The smaller the user base, the easier it is to manage. Obviously.
The role of government is not to be a parent for people. The role of government is to protect basic freedoms.
Correct. The next question... from who or what?
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A free market economy is held up because of the other person's greed...
There has never been a free market economy. There never will be. Why? Even that is in those wise words:
"If men were angels, there would be no need for government"
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Obviously not...when did I say this?
A state government is obviously going to be better than a national government, and a local government is obviously going to be better than a state government. The smaller the user base, the easier it is to manage. Obviously.
You see, you may not "say it", but the idea is ingrained in the rhetoric of the state-righters. There is nothing "obvious" about state governments operating with efficiency. They don't. They have as much motivation to be efficient as the federal government.
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Originally Posted by wutitiz
The problem with privatized fire is that a fire on your neighbors property can spread to yours. So if your neighbor has a fire, and is not signed up for service, it puts you at risk. Hence the necessity of socialized fire service.
Houses don't exist in a vacuum, and neither do you. There is a reason you would rather live in the USA than on a remote island on your own.
A friend of mine said something to the effect of "I don't mean to ask a stupid question, but what is a liberal" (she obviously is not into politics...)
The best way to explain it is with an analogy.
There is a ship, and it is sinking in the North Atlantic's frigid waters. There is only one life-boat, which holds 8 people, perhaps as many as 10 if they are small in size.
Conservatives would select up to 10 people based on merit; yes, 90 people will die, but at least 10 will live.
Liberals would try to cram everyone on the ship into the life-boat (at least everyone except white heterosexual males) and it would capsize killing all and no one would survive.
That's the difference between conservatives and liberals.
Oh, you mean the Norway that in the big mac index consistently rates as one of the most expensive places in the world to live? Do you mean the norway that has a 25% VAT? The norway that has lived off of oil money since the '70s? The norway that only has to manage a national population base the size of Washington DC?
Yeah...not the best comparison to the United States.
Whatever government services I rely upon would absolutely become more efficient if they were privatized. I rely on people and markets, not government services.
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“only 21 percent of charter schools rate effective or better … Meanwhile … 72 percent of traditional school buildings and 88 percent of traditional school districts rate effective or better on the state report card.
IMO someone either who is without a common sense brain or someone who is in some way dependent on the government for something.
We can't pay for a wish list of free things without government collapse.
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