"Less Government" doesn't really mean less government

[OldSoldier]

It's a codephrase, like "states rights."

When a Republican says he's for "less government," he means less regulation, less social programs, less government intrusion, less of the things they don't like.

Of course, "less regulation" is subjective. If you were to ask 100 Republicans "do you think every American should be tested for illegal drugs on a weekly basis, and anyone found positive should be stripped of their citizenship?" about 90 of them would say yes. That's not intrusive, that's good law enforcement. Besides, why can't those worthless hippies drink bourbon and smoke cigarettes like patriotic Americans?

Even worse, they'd have no problem with runaway deficit spending to pay for the testing equipment.

(Don't ask me why they were so up in arms about the 100,000 cops Clinton wanted, except that Clinton wanted them so there's no way it could have been good. That's such a Republican thing.)

Similarly, they are all for building lots of prisons. That's a great use of taxpayer money, building prisons and filling 'em up. Admittedly, there are lots of people who need to be in jail (not counting the people who work for George Bush), but I think a great deal of crime is economic. A Democrat would build schools and work to create jobs so people don't have to hold up liquor stores to put food on their families. To the Republicans, that's just runaway government spending. "I went to school on the GI Bill, then started a factory that makes things only governments buy. Those kids today can just pull themselves up by their own bootstraps the same way I did."

"Less government" means "less of the things government does I don't like." Nothing more, nothing less.

[northzax]

1. it's also code for

'give me the money with no strings attached'

[Wwagsthedog]

2. Government Outgrows Cap Set by President

More fuel for your fire.

Confounding President Bush's pledges to rein in government growth, federal discretionary spending expanded by 12.5 percent in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, capping a two-year bulge that saw the government grow by more than 27 percent, according to preliminary spending figures from congressional budget panels.

More...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28252-2003Nov11.html

[camero]

3. More prisons, less cops

I guess they like empty beds.

[Brian Sweat]

4. As I have always said, the Republicans don't want less government,

they want less government for everyone else.

Here in Jacksonville, FL a man named W.W. Gay owns a huge contracting company. They do large projects like road and big buildings. He has a bumper sticker on everyone of his trucks that says, "If 10% is good enough for God, it is good enough for the government."

Three years ago there was an initiative to raise the local area sales tax by 1 cent. The money was going to pay for contruction projects. W.W. Gay payed to have commercials run on local stations to promote the plan. 10% is good enough for the government unless I am getting a cut.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Government under Bush has grown by 27%......

Interesting item at http://www.msnbc.com/news/991867.asp?0si=-. Don't you know that everything has to be used on the everlasting, all-encompassing, yet-to-be-defined, 'war on terrorism'?