Vortexia's Secret

ok, so i've heard a lot of talk about this lately, and figure it's about time to address it here.  heard some interesting views, some new takes, and this is the one i like the best.  i shall title it:

big vs. small government and the irony of it all

republicans hate big government.  it's one of their many bad words.  it's the antichrist to them.  and yet what they do is more big government than what the democrats propose.  let's discuss that first since it's the simpler side.

democrats are accused of favoring big government.  i suppose that's true according to the old school definition.  they want programs that help people who need it.  they want to ensure that all children have access to health care, all children can get a decent education, that their parents can have enough money to put food on the table and make ends meet if the shit hits the fan, that the elderly do not wish for an early death because they can't afford to live much longer.  if helping people involves programs, which therefore makes the government larger or a "big government," then i say so be it. 

but here's the irony.  democrats trust the people to live their own lives.  they may have a "big government," but it is not an intrusive government.  republicans, on the other hand, have what i would certainly deem to be a "big government."  they feel the need to regulate what people do because we cannot be trusted in their eyes.  their big government decides who can and cannot get married, who can and cannot afford retirement, who can and cannot make autonomous decisions about their bodies, who can and cannot check out certain books from the library, who can and cannot get an education, and who can and cannot get medical treatment.  their big government steps into people's lives and makes decisions for them, or denies them the chance of ever having a decision.  they want to cut people off right from the start, so they never get to decide if they want a gay marriage, an abortion, any of the freedoms now restricted by the patriot act, and so much more.  i see that as being a much bigger goverment than the democrats have ever created.  and in good vs. bad, i see the democratic version of big government as being much better than the republican version.  but i am not an unbiased reporter (and i don't honestly believe that there is such a thing).  maybe some people think that taking away choices and rights and opportunities is a step in the right direction, but i certainly don't.

so there's my favorite take on this argument of big vs. small government.  i've also heard, though, that bush has made the largest big government yet... just something for you big government haters to ponder.

p.s.  you can still respond to my survey questions below.  so far the minimal response has assured me that IM would be pretty pointless.  but j-mo, you do realize you could step up with the times and easily download AIM for free?  just a thought.

P.S. Keep them in your prayers.