5 ms·

> What are the incentives for government to serve the greater good of the country "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, e

> What are the incentives for government to serve the greater good of the country "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, >promote the general Welfare<, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." > why should government be uniquely qualified to decide what is good for everyone The government is uniquely qualified to be the actor of last or only resort in a number of situations. > There are many, many cases, when private enterprise (often, but not exclusively, for-profits operating in a nonprofit/goodwill capacity) has been the most effective responder in national emergencies, for example Walmart immediately providing tons of supplies in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Indeed we all remember when Walmart's convoy of soldiers arrived at the Superdome to finally open a supply line to the thousands that sheltered there. Or when Walmart's sailors airlifted or floated out 33,000 citizens stranded in floodwaters.

dnautics 7y ago
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Man! If every organization held true to its founding ideals. do no evil, or heck, March of Dimes. You know, that document you cite also has a list of ten amendments, of which I know zero have been held to over 200 years. That's right, even the US has violated the 3rd amendment by quartering soldiers in warzones, for example Afghanistan, and even WWII (the amendment does not specify homes of citizens). Do you think the US follows this clause of the constitution? Did you even know it was there? "In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law." Forgive me if your assertion that the least binding part of a legal document that has brooked all sorts of breaches to its principles holds very little confidence. > why should government be uniquely qualified to decide what is good for everyone. > The government is uniquely qualified to be the actor of last or only resort in a number of situations. You're begging the question.
- pbourke 7y ago
  You asked “What are the incentives for government to serve the greater good of the country“ and I gave you an answer: it’s the reason why governments were created. Are they perfect? No. Can they be entirely replaced by the private sector? No.
  - dnautics 6y ago
    If you really believe that governments were created "for the greater good of their people", I strongly suggest you review the entirety of human history. I'm not religious, but the hebrew bible has a really fascinating parable (1 samuel 16) about the israelites wanting "a king" (and importantly, describing there motivations for such) and god begrudgingly granting their wish with a warning for what was to come. Governments serving their people is a very modern and very imperfect concept. I would argue we're not there yet.

dnautics 7y ago

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Man! If every organization held true to its founding ideals. do no evil, or heck, March of Dimes. You know, that document you cite also has a list of ten amendments, of which I know zero have been held to over 200 years. That's right, even the US has violated the 3rd amendment by quartering soldiers in warzones, for example Afghanistan, and even WWII (the amendment does not specify homes of citizens). Do you think the US follows this clause of the constitution? Did you even know it was there? "In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law." Forgive me if your assertion that the least binding part of a legal document that has brooked all sorts of breaches to its principles holds very little confidence. > why should government be uniquely qualified to decide what is good for everyone. > The government is uniquely qualified to be the actor of last or only resort in a number of situations. You're begging the question.

pbourke 7y ago
You asked “What are the incentives for government to serve the greater good of the country“ and I gave you an answer: it’s the reason why governments were created. Are they perfect? No. Can they be entirely replaced by the private sector? No.
- dnautics 6y ago
  If you really believe that governments were created "for the greater good of their people", I strongly suggest you review the entirety of human history. I'm not religious, but the hebrew bible has a really fascinating parable (1 samuel 16) about the israelites wanting "a king" (and importantly, describing there motivations for such) and god begrudgingly granting their wish with a warning for what was to come. Governments serving their people is a very modern and very imperfect concept. I would argue we're not there yet.