keep it civil please.....
I've pondered this a lot. I also have many here call me a "Republican"..and I'm not. I'm and Indy...with Conservative leanings on most issues...but not all...
anywho...I think it boils down to what type of government we want...
As a conservative...I only want-expect and demand one thing from my Government..which also happens to be their primary job....and that is to protect me and my family. that's it. I'll do the rest.
Liberals, I think, all share the idea that first and foremost they are victims of some kind. I also think they want government to play a part in every facet of theirs, and everyone else's life.
what do you think?
you've touched on one of the issues the Ron Paul campaign tried to bring into the debate, the role of government. Modern day "conservatives" and "liberals" pretty much agree that gov't exists to run the economy, regulate social behaviors, provide social and corporate welfare, etc., etc... For them, the "role of gov't" is basically to regulate and tax whatever they can and they mainly only disagree on where to spend the taxes.
I believe that the role of gov't is expressed in the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...IMHO, government's only legitimate role is to protect our rights. Providing for a national defense is in line with protecting our rights, while managing the economy, regulating behavior and providing welfare (individual and corporate) are not.