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What is a government for?
13 Answers
What do ABers think a government is actually for? What should it do?
I mean this in the sense of if you were trying to 'sell' the idea of a government to a country, what would the selling points be? What would having a government give/add to the country? What is the point and advantage of having one? How would it serve the country and the people of the country?
I don't mean what should/is our current government doing and the question isn't specific to any country or government.
(A bit of a dilemma as to which category best suited this!)
I mean this in the sense of if you were trying to 'sell' the idea of a government to a country, what would the selling points be? What would having a government give/add to the country? What is the point and advantage of having one? How would it serve the country and the people of the country?
I don't mean what should/is our current government doing and the question isn't specific to any country or government.
(A bit of a dilemma as to which category best suited this!)
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I think a government is there to make jo public think that they have a say in how the country is run by letting them vote in a party..and then sit back and watch those voted in do the same sort of things as those voted out without having a say in whats happening and slowly watch them screw up the country. If a government was really any good then they would never be voted out.
While I don't disagree with what's been said, it was a serious question; what do people think a government should be doing? I'll add some of my own thoughts.
Unless you're an anarchist, someone needs to be in charge. Leaving aside who you choose and how, whoever is should:
Run the country for the benefit of those who live there. Everyone who doesn't comes further down in the priorities. (The French seem good at this bit!)
Protect the law-abiding citizens of the country from threat or harm, be it internal or external.
Not do anything to damage or harm the people it's managing the country for.
Endeavour to plan and carry out plans to improve the well-being and wealth of the people of the country.
Unless you're an anarchist, someone needs to be in charge. Leaving aside who you choose and how, whoever is should:
Run the country for the benefit of those who live there. Everyone who doesn't comes further down in the priorities. (The French seem good at this bit!)
Protect the law-abiding citizens of the country from threat or harm, be it internal or external.
Not do anything to damage or harm the people it's managing the country for.
Endeavour to plan and carry out plans to improve the well-being and wealth of the people of the country.
Well thats what they should do. Its hard as everyone has there own ideas of whats "good" for there country. The thing is no matter what anyone in charge does (no matter how good they are) there will always be people who apose the ideas and leadership....which is sad really. This is ever more so in countries like ours which have a real diverse mix of races and religions. Its impossible to keep everyone happy. Saying that, Labour should at least try and keep the majority of people happy instead of just trying to keep the minority happy (nothing wrong with working with minority groups but they shouldn't just turn there backs on the rest of us)
A 'Government' is the result of the illusion democracy creates, Whilst the people believe they control what happens to them they feel safe and are more likely to accept their situation.
Illusion of control is placed upon a government until financial/economic benefit opposes public opinion, during which time said government is dis-posessed with new cleaner image government, whilst maintaining overall control without alerting the prolataria.
The advantage this method of control has over individualism, is that a population can sacrifice beliefs/liberties in the name of growth whilst actually making themselves worse off. If an indiviual was deposed the majority would expect radical improvement, with a change of 'Government' the whole illusion starts afresh.
If youre selling government what are you selling it over. If its an improvemnet ona physcopathic dictatorship then the points are no being dragged off in the middle of night and tortured for no reason.
If it is over corrupt monarchs then its a chance to keep money and not be robbed or killed for your pssessions by the king.
If its over a nomadic tribe, then they get land and basically the whole package of trade and society.
If youre selling to the cynics and Dangerously Small Minded Reactonaries on this post then the main point is-
SOMETHING TO MOAN ABOUT (please join the DSMR for a better world, we need a good laugh)
I know your question said it wasn't specific but some things have to be. and the good/bad points about a governemtn have to specific as a government is only elected as to what it promises to do, and it can only promise to change things that need change
e.g. If a country has very low unemployment but a high crime rate then in an election a party promising to fight crime and bring the rates down is more likley to be elected than a party promising to bring down unemployment as it is already very low.
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