Thom Hartmann: Video: Thom Hartmann & Michael Medved Debating the Role of Government in America

This post was originally posted at FRS FreeStates on WordPress, February, 2012

You ask the question’s what’s the role of government and you’ll get many different answers across the political spectrum in America. From Socialists who want government to do almost everything. Who believe the best society is the society that is as equal as possible. With no rich, middle or poor people. "And the best way to do that is through centralize power through the Federal Government". To Libertarians who want government to do almost nothing. Who don’t believe in limited government. 

Today's Libertarians are talking about  small government, not limited government. And basically believe that government’s job is to protect individual liberty and constitutional rights. To Liberals such as myself who believe in limited government. And just want government there to do the things that we can’t do for ourselves or do as well. To Conservatives who believe that government should be even more limited. And there are less things that the people shouldn’t be doing for themselves.

Thats where we are as a country when it comes to the role of government. And where its people on the Far-Left that want the Federal Government doing almost everything when it relates to the economy. To people on the Far-Right who believe that government isn’t doing enough to regulate people's personal lives. That we have too much individual liberty and we need more restrictions on who we live our own lives. 

To Libertarians who want Government out of the economy and out of our social lives and leave us alone. And these are the three loudest voices in this debate right now. Believers in limited government, Liberals such as myself are in a debate where its about whether we should double the size of the Federal Government ,or cut in half. And we are sort of in that middle of that debate.

I myself, I’m a Liberal Democrats and a believer in limited government. That it should only do what people can’t do for themselves or as well. Based on the authority it has in the U.S. Constitution. And for me that’s, law enforcement, national security, foreign policy and regulation of the economy. Protecting innocent people from the abusive harm of others. Not trying to protect people from themselves. That it’s about individual liberty and responsibility for me. That's what you get in a liberal democracy. Instead of government trying to protect us from ourselves, or do for us what we can do and do better for ourselves.