Can you imagine the ramifications if the US Government decides to brutally use that power against it’s people?

The more I see that dependence and economic hardship, I can’t help but think back to rome. Though I don’t know how similar the downfalls will be, I can only imagine and speculate on the idea.

I do not represent the “welfare state” as you posit and equally you have obviously completely misinterpreted my entire point! I am 44 years in economics and financial and market analysis and am currently the Senior analyst for a multi national (8 countries)company in Europe. The libertarian nonsense represented by the article, which prompted my commentary, has been disavowed by almost the entire fraternity of thinking and working economists on the planet. The last 30 years of trickle down nonsense, and the so called unfettered free market, has led us to this catastrophe of excessive involvement of bigger government, “as a necessity”, due to the lack of proper legal controls, and the unethical behavior of the business and banking dynamic!
Basically if you want smaller government, then stop this nonsense that purports, that smaller government will somehow result in a more humane society, that will not only prosper, but will look after the basic needs of the unfortunates within that society, without any need for legal or political control. Children will be educated, the sick will get treated, the environment will be protected and all will be well!…….. B.S.!
Obviously this is untrue, and the current historical facts are that the results are the wealth of the nation is now in control of a tiny minority of “Uber riche” who could frankly care less, which society they pillage to maintain their positions of control over a servile class! Which is what the American dream and the middle class will dissemble into, if we continue your ideology and this libertarian and extreme right inanity. I am by career and by ideology a fiscally conservative centrist. I abhor extremes from either side of the political spectrum, and this article is just another typical quixotic tilt at common sense. I beg all to reject this stupid “ostrich” head in the sand approach to practical reality! Good government is an essential factor in the progress of an effective and constructive American society for the 21st century. Extremism on either side of the ideological argument is something that cannot be tolerated any longer!

The Governments of the world are just printing their own operating money while the transform the economies into one world fashion to deal with what they see as a worldwide problem , over population .
Bill Gates spells it out here , people are the largest contributor of CO-2 , the progressives biggest fear of contributing to climate change .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0gvDkVcFkI

http://www.archive.org/stream/TheFirstGlobalRevolution

You’ve all probably seen TV or movies with a classic insane person, trying to capture nonexistent bugs or butterflies or whatever they see around them, while other look on in amuzement or sadness. Well, MOST HUMANS TODAY ARE EXACTLY AS INSANE AS THAT STEREOTYPE. Why?

Quite simply, “government does not exist”. Period. Stop. End of story. Yet people take government totally seriously, and behave as if the concept “government” has a referent, just as their young kids assume their “SantaClaus” concept has a referent. THEY DO NOT.

As a matter of fact, and rather ironically you might say (since it indicates folks from long ago were more grounded and realistic, and less terminally insane), the law calls “organizations” (government, corporations, non-profits, and all other kinds of organizations) “fictitious entities”. That’s right, even the most fundamental law admits “government does not exist”.

So WAKE UP, why don’t you all? The fraudulant con-artist scam run today by the PREDATOR-class depends upon you accepting that absolute, utter FICTIONS exist. They don’t. WAKE UP. It is all a device to convince you to argue with each other about HOW to deal with a fiction. A sane person understands quite clearly… DO NOT.

To be sure, sane people do understand they may encounter a REAL human being acting on the [purposely] mistaken notion that “government exists”… and these predators can be very, very dangerous to deal with if you become confrontational. But remember, that insane human does exist, but everything he talks about is pure, unadulterated, hallucinogenic insanity. How to act is much like figuring out how to act around one of those stereotypical insane people who happened to get a gun somewhere, and is not shooting at the non-existent bugs/aliens/butterflies/whatever he imagines he sees.

The best way to deal with these issues is… first become totally clear in your head what is and is not a fiction, then figure out the best way to AVOID, EVADE, HIDE, DUCK, whatever you must to remove yourself from its influences in every possible way.

DO NOT FEED THE BEAST.
DO NOT PRETEND FICTION IS REAL.

What’s the difference between communism and capitalism?

Communism is the exploitation of man by man. Under capitalism it’s the other way round.

They do it so much they don’t even realize it or they truly think they’re “innocent”.

sharonsj, james m. convey and Janet (ones I most remember but to anyone else blaming companies for doing what they’re told too…) please tell me you would be willing to pay 4-5x more for nearly everything you consume but likely get paid no more per hour then you currently do (if you’re lucky enough to be employed). Life is not fair, not everyone can have a great paying (or even fair wage job) and a house and 2 cars, etc. There are rich people, middle class people and poor people. Just the way things work.

I’m maybe middle of the middle class but I do not dislike the rich. I have drive (something I see missing in a lot of people, they rather get things easy and handed to them instead of working for it) and ambition and by no means are I saying others don’t. I know a few millionaires (all self made) and pick their brains whenever I can (I do work for them and in a few lucky cases ate lunch with them but by no means am I friends with them).

People also do no realize that there are other hard working people all over the world (China for example) who would be willing to work for near pennies to produce things to give their families a chance. Where we have minimum wages which limit our abilities to compete with other countries. And no, they will not impose a minimum wage on their people, America didn’t have one for the longest time allowing America to take jobs from Great Britain and the rest of Europe (like Asia/India have taken from the USA).

Instead of blaming the “evil corporations” for all your (our) worldly problems without first really looking into those problems. Try turning off the TV and putting down the dribble magazines and newspapers that only report what they’re told and read. Read and read some more.

Never believe manipulated statistics (like the unemployment numbers for a prime example). If they changed how they report something it’s likely to make it look better, but that is not the truth.

Neither am I saying corporations are by any means innocent. But to think its so cut and dry is small minded and narrow thinking in nature. It’s not about thinking outside the box, it’s figuring out the box does not exist.

“If bigger government is the answer, it was a truly stupid question” –Unknown

“…we can’t rely upon the charlatans that got us to the point we are at right now. Bankers and corporate criminals don’t care, and we the people need to help our government to make the changes required. I’d rather put my effort into that ideal as opposed to helping you destroy the one thing we still have some influence over “our government”.”

Well if he thinks we still have influence over this government he hasn’t been paying attention. But to me, the rest of it sounds like the libertarian principle in a nutshell.

He just hasn’t cottoned to the fact that the first step to more effective government is to cut the bureaucracy and downsize it drastically, so we can actually afford it, and so it can handle only the problems it’s supposed to. The people can solve 99% of this crap themselves if the government would just stop meddling.

The problem is, as the article points out, it’s already too late to downsize this government without major social upheaval.