What is the purpose of government?

[Into the Night]

If government is just managing, who sets the agenda?

If government is just managing, what are they managing?
What about defense? What about handling thieves and murderers?

 

[Into the Night]

the citizens, of course.

Really? Is that true for a dictatorship as well?

 

[Matt Dillon]

Aristotle said “the object of a state is the good life” (Politics;1280b39).

If the purpose of government is not to make people good, then what is it?

In most places to establish and secure the border of the area they govern.

 

[Celticguy]

Really? Is that true for a dictatorship as well?

pretty much. if they people are not OK with it at least to a degree it wont last long.

a benevolent dictator is still a dictator after all.

 

[Into the Night]

There you go.

Any abrogation of that principle requires a new mandate by popular acclaim.

The purpose is expressed in the preamble to the Constitution: ''We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ...


https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CDOC-108hdoc94/pdf/CDOC-108hdoc94.pdf

A reasonable opinion. This echos what is in the Declaration of Independence as well.

 

[Into the Night]

That was about militias because there was no standing army.

The 2nd amendment is about militias AND about the right of the people to bear arms. Do not discard half the 2nd amendment.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Government, at least at the politician level should be a dangerous job. Your very life and livelihood should be on the line and The People should hold the power to take both if you screw things up badly enough.

Then why have laws if mob rule is the only criteria?

Do you believe Trump's attack on 1/6 was a justified use of "the power to take both"?

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Trump: Make America Great Again.

But what he means is Make America White Again. Same goes for all the Trumpers on this forum, even the ones claiming to be "of color".

 

[Into the Night]

Well stated, IMO.

Government derives from the consent of the governed.

When government does not derive from the consent of the governed, the people flee or, they revolt.

To a certain extend this is true, even for a dictator.

 

[Legion]

To a certain extend this is true, even for a dictator.

Indeed.

 

[Legion]

The 2nd amendment is about militias AND about the right of the people to bear arms. Do not discard half the 2nd amendment.

If he doesn't, his argument fails.

 

[Into the Night]

In most places to establish and secure the border of the area they govern.

This is part of the Law and Order thing again. It is also part of the defense that a government there to provide for.

 

[Into the Night]

Then why have laws if mob rule is the only criteria?

Do you believe Trump's attack on 1/6 was a justified use of "the power to take both"?

Mob rule is not law or order. It is chaos.
Trump didn't attack anything on Jan 6th.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Mob rule is not law or order. It is chaos.
Trump didn't attack anything on Jan 6th.

You only get to lie about yourself, not others, Sybil.

 

[Truck Fump / h1b]

Aristotle said “the object of a state is the good life” (Politics;1280b39).

If the purpose of government is not to make people good, then what is it?

I believe the government should enforce some basic rules for interaction, no violence, no stealing, no fraud... etc.

but making people good is too big a mission, bound to lead to totalitarianism.
and who's vision of good?

governments interventions need to stay very rudimentary.

 

[SmarterthanYou]

the purpose of government, federal, state, or local, is spelled out very clearly in the US Constitution, the several State Constitutions, and any local charters.

 

[BidenPresident]

I believe the government should enforce some basic rules for interaction, no violence, no stealing, no fraud... etc.

but making people good is too big a mission, bound to lead to totalitarianism.
and who's vision of good?

governments interventions need to stay very rudimentary.

Yet you right wingers wanted Trump to be a dictator.

 

[BidenPresident]

the purpose of government, federal, state, or local, is spelled out very clearly in the US Constitution, the several State Constitutions, and any local charters.

wow

 

[Truck Fump / h1b]

Yet you right wingers wanted Trump to be a dictator.

nobody i know wanted that.

 

[BidenPresident]

nobody i know wanted that.

Every right winger I know wanted that. Even with a violent coup attempt the GOP still supports Trump.