A story today should prompt some discussion in how our society is changing as more and more Americans work for the government. For years, there has been a concern that we are becoming an institutionalized society with millions of Americans serving or working in prisons while millions more work for police and government agencies. Now, a report shows that one out of every 100 Americans work for the Defense Department. That is an astonishing figure. That figure balloons further when one considers the number of citizens working in the internal security, police, and intelligence systems.
The Economist magazine shows that the Defense Department employed 3.2 million people, including 700,000 civilians.
We beat out the Chinese Army and even more frightening Wal-Mart (which comes in third after the Red Army). McDonald’s follows in fourth. The remainder in order are the China Petroleum Corporation, the State Grid Corporation of China, National Health Service of England, Indian Railways, China Post Group, and Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Company.
Despite such huge numbers, Sen. Jon Kyl announced that he will resign from the Super Committee if the members consider significant cuts in the defense budget.
Source: Washington Post
raff,
I’m sure that would never happen in Roco’s world…
Slarts,
maybe we should start a private fire department and enlist the aid of an arsonist to drum up some business!?
Roco,
I was skimming through the thread and noticed that you wish to privatize firefighters – do you really fail to see the problem with making a company who’s fiduciary responsibility would be to ensure that there are MORE fires available to put out? You really don’t understand how capitalism works, do you?
And you never cease to distort, contort and poorly rationalize, Roco.
Gene H:
you never cease to entertain.
Thinking isn’t really your strong suit, is it?
Gene:
I think you need help.
I’m sorry, Roco. Did you have the impression that an anonymous sociopath’s opinion of me matters? To anyone other than your favorite person – yourself – that is?
Gene:
You seem to me to be pretty ignorant in your own right.
have a nice day little Genebbels.
Again, the ignorance on display here is entirely yours, Roco.
Have a day, sociopath.
Gene:
size of government is not irrelevant. They shot down using government funds to build canals.
And promote the general welfare does not mean build a bridge for someone or pay for their education. If you think it does, I just feel sorry for you. Your ignorance knows no bounds.
I have been reading plenty and havent read rand for years. Maybe you should take your own advice and stay away from science fiction.
Id rather be a selfish “sociopath” than a damned Nazi any day of the week. Funny thing is though, your ideas are much more closely aligned with fascism/communism/socialism than I am to being a sociopath.
Just admit it Genie, taking from one and giving to another is communism and government involved in the economy is fascism. You embrace both with great gusto.
Peisistratos would be proud of you. Now quick and google that name Genie and post the wikipedia synopsis so you can make believe how smart you are.
Roco,
If you’re referring to Obama?
He’s not my “boy”.
As to what the Founders wanted?
They wanted functional, responsive government that established justice, insures domestic tranquility (but not at the expense of either justice or liberty), provides for the common defence (from actual threats, not just the ones the Neocons such as yourself made up to rationalize privatization and destroying governmental safeguards in the name of profit), promoted the general Welfare (oooo, I know! Scary isn’t it that government should serve the people instead of subjugate the people. They might have to tax you to pay for it!), and secured the Blessings of Liberty (by being functional and responsive and not the tool of monied corporations and the “aristocracy”).
Size of government is an irrelevant argument. Always has been irrelevant. Always will be irrelevant. Much like your continued attempts to equate progressives with Nazis. Really. You should read something other than Ayn Rand. Your ignorance of any topic other than your own selfishness is staggering, but to expect more of a sociopath is to expect too much.
Geneus:
“If government was busy spending money and allocating resources to building infrastructure for the commons,”
It wasnt my boy who spent a trillion dollars on other than infrastructure while talking about shovel ready jobs.
Wasnt my boy who gave almost 600 million to a green technology “company” only to find out it was one big scam. It wasnt my boy who bought a car company and lost money on it. Wasnt my boy who wants to spend another trillion dollars on more “infrastructure” because he didnt get it right the first time.
Small government is what the founders wanted, Hitler, Stalin and Mao were the ones who liked a super state. I know which way you swing, you would have made a good Nazi.
Heres to you Genie – guess which arm is straight out in front of me with the palm down. Sig Heil baby, you’ve earned it. Those damned Nazis, they were socialists.
Roco: “The department of homeland security is the future American Gestapo and should be eradicated.”
We agree on something.
Let’s put this in terms that even a venal selfish Objectivist can understand:
If government was busy spending money and allocating resources to building infrastructure for the commons, they wouldn’t have the money or resources to build a “defense justified” police state now would they? If idiots such as yourself didn’t chant “small government/privatize” like it was church liturgy, they’d be busy doing other things instead of spying on citizens, like building schools and roads and libraries and hospitals.
No. You own this. So guess which finger I’m holding up.
Nice try.
You small government/defense only clowns own it and will until the day you die.
Gene H:
Nope, you take your BS and shove it.
You fools own this, they call them neocons because they used to be libs/progressives. They cant get that big government BS out of their system.
You are a fascist/socialist/communist and your ideology has gotten us to this place.
Lie in your bed now Genie, that isnt a tight sheet but a straight jacket. Thanks for helping the fascists with your big government spread the wealth crap.
It is you Genie. Look in the mirror and see that brown shirt and skull and crossbones cap on your head.
You created it the first time you wanted to take from one to give to another. This is your baby not mine.
Enjoy this neo-conservative dupes. You’re the one who think government should be only about “defense”. Big is not the issue. Providing the infrastructure required to maintain civilization isn’t the issue.
Misapplication is the issue.
Building roads and rails and libraries and schools and providing health care access for all is not the same as building a police state.
Congratulations!
You got just what you wanted.
A security apparatus state where military and insurance corporations get to determine your fate and they say the rich get everything and everyone else is screwed.
Progressives and big government?
No.
“People” like you, Roco . . .
YOU own this.
There is nothing progressive about a police state and privatizing public services.
So take your smugness and stick it.
this is what happens when you believe in big government. You cannot just believe in big government to help people, government will always expand unless restrained.
Enjoy your bed progressives you are the ones who created the idea that big government is a good thing.
“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”
G.R. Ford
“The natural progress of things is for liberty to yeild,[1] and government to gain ground.” – Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, Paris, 27 May 1788[2]
And I would add especially when people want government to take care of you from cradle to grave.
The department of homeland security is the future American Gestapo and should be eradicated.
Anon nurse,
Great link to the David Cole article.
Obama is part of the problem if he won’t follow the law concerning torture.