WhatFinger


Government grows at the expense of humanity, our souls and society

The long, but necessary, road back from big government



Aside from the Socialist version of it, there is no such thing as Utopia. But if Utopia were more real than the unicorn, it would be a circumstance or place without Big Government.

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Those of us who seek less government must not only explain why, we must also offer some simple ways in which it can be achieved without abandoning people but weaning them gradually into self-reliance and self-sufficiency.  Big Government, of course, wants the exact opposite. What on earth did we do before government? How did we manage? Who helped the sick, the poor, the needy and the incapable? Who stepped in when disaster struck? Only older people have any memory of a world with much less government. Nobody born after World War II in Europe, Russia, or North America has any experience of less government. National governments existed for one purpose, to defend the people from attack. Income tax was introduced as a temporary measure to fund this role. The tax still exists and the government is using the money for almost everything but defense. We can’t and shouldn’t go back, partly because “the good old days” were never the good old days. However, what we can and must do is recover the values government cannot possibly provide. We must actively work to eliminate government systems that become more important than people. We must replace the values governments eliminate in their attempts to become politically neutral that only become politically correct and thereby sterile. We have abandoned our social responsibilities as we wait for and expect government to take care of things. The growth of government is decried because of the ballooning cost, but the real cost is loss of control of our lives and as the human race, the values essential to the gregarious moral ape. Government grows at the expense of humanity, our souls and society. Two stories relate to the detachment and disconnect. Appointed chair of a committee to produce a management plan for an entire river drainage basin, I called them together for an informal meeting over coffee and doughnuts (I paid for them) before the first formal meeting. Inevitably the conversation drifted to taxation and government, with agreement that there was far too much of both. After presentation of the mandate and goals of the committee, discussion turned to stipends and expenses. They all quickly demonstrated why government is increasing in size and cost, while completely forgetting the concerns expressed over doughnuts minutes earlier. The second story is contained in the wonderful insight into an essentially pre-government world provided by the 11-year diary of Thomas Turner. He was a shopkeeper in the small village of East Hoathly, Sussex, outside modern day Brighton in England. His diary is circa 1750 and relates everyday life in a world we no longer comprehend.  He rarely handles money because every thing is done in kind: A labor for a labor, a skill for a skill, a product for a product. Currency was from all over Europe and only had value for its weight if it was gold or silver. Each person was identified for social concerns by their village or town of birth. That community had certain responsibilities to them determined by citizens who served the church by serving on committees that recommended actions. This role as a deacon was defined in the early church as follows; a lay officer appointed to assist a minister, especially in secular affairs, or historically an appointed minister of charity. For example, if a woman was pregnant out of wedlock she had to declare the father and a person was sent round to make sure the father accepted and paid for his responsibilities. If a person was out of work support was provided until a job was found. If the person was from another village then they were sent back to that village. Each village was required to provide accommodation as they travelled. Turner did his job diligently despite occasionally normal human concerns about weariness. He knew it was his responsibility and did those things he did best. He also knew others were contributing as they knew how. They were in the truest sense of the word volunteers - “a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.”  So now we know who did all those things listed above before there was government. There are still volunteers but nowhere near as many. What they did was taken over by government at great expense with decreasing efficiency because of the lack of care or commitment - it's just a job.

Restoring the values that are the fabric of a society - a fabric rotted by the moths of government

Clearly we cannot go back to an all volunteer society, but we can recognize the value of volunteer work in a rather crass, but more modern way. We can encourage young people who have little or no understanding of the importance of volunteers and voluntary work. We can provide a volunteers reward that advances their careers. Almost all volunteers work for charitable organizations that provide services better, and in more humanitarian ways than government. They are good examples of what is wrong when government does things. Volunteers should register with an organization, keep track of their volunteer hours then deduct those hours at minimum wage from their taxes. Society and therefore government benefits from their work. This way their work is given a value but requires no money from government or society.  It is just one small idea that speaks to the problem of reducing government without massive cost and disruption while restoring the values that are the fabric of a society - a fabric rotted by the moths of government.


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Judi McLeod -- Bio and Archives -- Judi McLeod, Founder, Owner and Editor of Canada Free Press, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in the print and online media. A former Toronto Sun columnist, she also worked for the Kingston Whig Standard. Her work has appeared throughout the ‘Net, including on Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.

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