UOTE=zymurgy;1880663]Thanks for asking!
You are welcome.
I hope all Americans agree with the general concept that the purpose of government is to protect our rights. The problem isn't in the goal, it is the execution.
I agree with you that the purpose of government is to protect our rights. Yes, execution is a problem, however, no form of government on this earth is perfect. I've been involved with local government, up to the county level, but not the state or federal level. However, I know people who are at the state and federal level and from what they say, it is similar to the local level. Problem is, which I think you agree with, is that the larger the population gets, the harder it is to 'manage' or govern them. This is why I support the Federal system, while recognizing state rights, which essentially gives us local government. IMO.
In trying to achieve those goals, you won't please everyone. That is something else I think we can all agree with.
So at its face, you could look at this in mathematical terms. If you have one policy that is very divisive - meaning a high percentage are unhappy with the outcome - the higher up in government you go, the more people become unhappy. Eventually you see a system of people that may still agree on the general purpose of government constantly bickering and genuinely pissed off at one another - which I think we can all agree is the times we live in today.
I think I understand your point, and I think it goes back to my opinion about a federal government. We cannot all be local chieftains. Other governments implemented a King or monarchy type of government. We have a republic, there is not king per se, however, we do have a federal President.
So as I see it, many of the policies of the left and right are good, but must be done at the local level. We were all taught about the checks and balances of the branches of governments, but they didn't bother to teach about one of the best ones - we can vote with our feet when smaller governments act badly. Competition exists between towns, counties, and states - and we should use that as an advantage whenever possible.
What do you mean by "best ones"? I don't think there is really a competition between towns, counties and states. At least not from my perspective. Out local government operates just fine. And I have never seen them be in competition with any other county or at the state level.
Now in fairness - this means policies on the far right also can be implemented at the local level - I personally have no tolerance for social conservatism - but for this all to work, they get to push that crap on local levels too - but I'm moving and won't be vacationing there. Same goes with the far left - they want to create a utopia of bathroom equality for all - have at it - I'll just take my chain of gym's elsewhere.
I am socially liberal for the most part. However, if you do not have any social conservatism, then isn't the door wide open for anything?
But when it comes to federal policy, it should be about protecting the country and regulating relations between the states - those issues are important enough and we are short sighted enough as a nation to where it is probably too much to ask of our constituents to stay informed on just those issues.
I don't think the federal government is just about maintaining state to state relationships. It is also about global relationships.
