Libertarian Party sends funeral wreath to the GOP..."death of small government"

[JackDaniels]

http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/02/06/the-death-of-small-government-in-the-gop/


Given that it has become readily apparent that Senator McCain will soon be the presidential nominee for the Republican Party, we, the staff of the Libertarian National Committee, send our condolences to you upon the death of small-government principles within the GOP.

Libertarians encourage competition within both the free-market and politics. Unfortunately, with the rise of John McCain and the big-spending practices of the Bush administration, the two-party system has emerged as representing only one philosophy – big-government liberalism.

With your loss, the Libertarian Party will continue to move forwards to represent those American patriots who still believe in smaller government, lower taxes and more individual freedom.

[JackDaniels]

Are you Republicans in such denial that you are a member of a big government, big spending party that you live in complete darkness?

Ignorance is bliss.

[avatar4321]

i hate to break this to you, but i think small government was killed nearly a century ago. Unfortunately trying to get it back is going to be a fight.

[5stringJeff]

Small government in the GOP was alive and well through Reagan's two terms, somewhat so with Bush 41, and moreso again with Newt. Alas, it died with Bush 43's election.

[OCA]

i hate to break this to you, but i think small government was killed nearly a century ago. Unfortunately trying to get it back is going to be a fight.

A century ago? Ever hear of Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater?

[Hobbit]

Small government began its death throes with the introduction of the 16th amendment and fully died during the New Deal. True conservative revolutionaries, such a Reagen, Goldwater, and Gingrich, have since tried to revive small government, and while their measures brought relief to our nation, they were, ultimately, unsuccessful. The government still grew. People still demanded and received handouts. Government remained the solution looking for more problems.

[82Marine89]

Small government in the GOP was alive and well through Reagan's two terms, somewhat so with Bush 41, and moreso again with Newt. Alas, it died with Bush 43's election.

Small government died with Bush 41 and "Read my lips..."

[Hugh Lincoln]

Hobbit's post is the winner. I'd say the New Deal was what really killed small government. As the economist Robert Samuelson notes, Reagan only managed to kill one or two federal spending programs. Most of the government went untouched. Under Bush, as noted, it exploded beyond belief.

I think the sad reality is that more government is like the drug that the rats can pump for in those experiments: given access to a little lever that cranks it into their water supply without limit, they will keep cranking until they overdose and die. They never learn to slow it down or wean themselves off it. That's what you get with "democracy" and government taxing and spending. We don't have the collective responsibility to say "no."

[avatar4321]

A century ago? Ever hear of Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater?

and did either of them successfully shrink government?

[OCA]

Small government died with Bush 41 and "Read my lips..."

It sure as hell did! Makes me sick as hell also to see Bush I touted as this great Republican and all, he was spineless.