The role of government

[Moonfaxx]

True or false: The role of government is to do that which we cannot do for ourselves. Why do you agree/disagree with this statement?

[Kujako]

I disagree with the statement, because it is vague and unclear. There are many things I can not do for myself, fly using my will alone, eat ghost peppers, have sex with Scarlett JoHansson, but the Government shouldn't be involved with any of them.

[Xeones]

To general of a term. I can't birth a child. Doesn't mean I think that is the role of the government.

[Mekh]

True or false: The role of government is to do that which we cannot do for ourselves. Why do you agree/disagree with this statement?

Disagree because in an utterly boneheaded and demented prepper-movement kind of way, there is no such thing a person cannot do himself, so whoever takes that option will have his word twisted into supporting lawless anarchy.

[Kujako]

Disagree because in an utterly boneheaded and demented prepper-movement kind of way, there is no such thing a person cannot do himself, so whoever takes that option will have his word twisted into supporting lawless anarchy.

Most people can't lick their own elbows.

[Mekh]

Most people can't lick their own elbows.

A prepper could. With his guns. And cans of beans.

[Elegiac]

False dichotomy.

[Skroe]

To general of a term. I can't birth a child. Doesn't mean I think that is the role of the government.

Careful. Trumpcare was such a Kafkaesque labyrinth of nuttery, there is a non-zero chance that male pregnancy was going to be a part of it.

[Elegiac]

Careful. Trumpcare was such a Kafkaesque labyrinth of nuttery, there is a non-zero chance that male pregnancy was going to be a part of it.

Male pregnancy is a preexisting condition. As is having a vagina.

[Zarc]

I say false. The role of government is to maximize freedom. Democracy is the institutionalization of freedom. Some will disagree with me on how to maximize freedom, some will disagree with me on what constitutes freedom and others will disagree with my idea of the role of government. But given that we in the Western world have structured our form of government on the principles of classical liberalism (also known as 'liberal democracy', 'Western democracy' or more commonly just 'democracy') those who disagree with my idea of the role of government are probobly wrong. Probably.

[Antiganon]

The role of government is to do the greatest good for the largest number of its citizens, while ensuring that no single minority group is destroyed by mob rule. I very much doubt anyone in the western world could legitimately disagree with this statement, regardless of political leanings.

The means by which government carries out that role is what gets people riled up. Does the government do the greatest good by getting out of the way, or providing a robust social safety net? Should the government amass a large military capable of defeating any foe, or amass a large diplomatic corps that fosters good relations with other nations?

[Dezerte]

Vaguely yes.

[LMuhlen]

Where is that from?

[Powerogue]

Waaaay too ambiguous.

I'd say it depends on your government. Generally speaking, they govern. Maintaining the military, inter-country relations, and infrastructure in exchange for taxation. Chosen and employed, ideally, by their voters.

Still, there's as many governments as there are flavors of ice cream, and a lot of them suck.

[Cthulhu 2020]

There are certain things that everyone wants access to, but nobody wants to pay for it alone. You want clean water, but don't have several million dollars to create a water treatment facility and plumbing?

Well everyone suddenly wants this "Clean water" thing, and everyone agrees to pitch in what they can spare. Some people have way more money than others, and can pitch in more to help reach this community goal. After all, it was only a few hundred years ago that humans realized that helping the poorest of our community raises the overall standards of living in our society. Everyone pitches in, and now they all have access to clean water.

Now you suddenly live in a society of 30 million people. Everyone uses this clean water, in addition to roads, law enforcement, fire services, emergency health care, etc.

But in this community of 30 million people, you have 5 million who use these services EVERY SINGLE DAY, or at least these services are available to them at any time they want them. But these people start screaming that giving money to an organization that funds projects everyone uses but nobody wants to pay for is "theft". These people have benefited from the fruits of this collective of resources called "government", and they take for granted that what little they pay in taxes covers costs they would never be able to afford on their own. They insist that they don't need the government doing things for them, but you don't see these people living off on their own in the woods, getting their own clean water, building their own roads, generating their own electricity. You see them living in the middle of society, with everyone else, using the clean water, the law enforcement, the roads, and insisting they shouldn't have to pay for it.

So yes, the role of government is to provide the services that we as a society have deemed that we want, but no individual wants to pay for. And the people who argue that taxation for the purpose of doing these projects is "theft" are insanely ignorant, and want all the benefits that societal government gives them, without having to pay for it.

[Jastall]

Could you possibly offer a more ambiguous question?

The role of government is to organize and further the well-being of its citizens. There are many ways to around about it, and many sorts of policies that can be adopted to that end, AND many definitions of what exactly said ''well-being'' is. But that remains its primary function.

[MoanaLisa]

Very ambiguous question so I have a very ambiguous answer:

The role of government is to provide services for its citizens and constituents.

So what are services? What are constituents? Really, what is government? At the highest philosophical level what exactly is a citizen? An individual sanctioned by the state? Okay, if that's true then should services (including laws which after all are services for organizing and regulating society) be relevant to non-citizens?

These are all great questions and the basis of political argument for some thousands of years now.

The practical answer is that government is an ongoing process that must change with the times and desires of its constituents (I lean toward this over citizen since too many will wish to define citizen very narrowly).