“It is a leftists dream to have the population not the trust the police because then chaos and anarchy are easy to foment. The left is doing all it can to stoke the flames.”
How is it philosophically consistent for one to believe in limited government and criticize an anonymous leftist for criticizing corrupt behavior in government employees?
Moreover, how is it philosophically consistent to advocate shrinking the size and scope of government, yet make defenses for employees of a branch of governance which yearly *expanding* in size and scope?
Would that the hypothetical leftist would broaden his criticism to all government employees (if he hasn’t already).
Would that the conservative would realize that he is aiding and abetting the growth and power of an intrusive monolith, to which he claims to be opposed, by his actions.
Freegards,
That is well stated. Many Conservatives have a ‘hold-over’ effect of their parent’s and Grandparents; which was an admonishment to always trust government and their agents as upright and virtuous. Such was taught to be civic patriotism.
Sadly, we are no longer a moral or a virtuous society and corruption and cronyism is rampant in every single institution in this country.
Because government was taught and seen as ‘virtuous’ - growing it and expanding it was accepted as a societal good even by ‘conservatives’. This includes any agent of the state with a badge and uniform. They fed a beast that is now self-aware with an insatiable of appetite for everything the people possess that it does not have absolute control over.
What many ‘Conservatives’ mean when they say they want ‘smaller government’ is simply less ‘liberals’ and liberal programs in government. They have little problem with ‘Conservative’ expansion of government, for things like SWAT teams for the weather bureau (because they are Police and a good citizen always supports the police in any fashion).
We are a people grown ignorant of what was intended for us. So many Conservatives are comfortable with living in a police state, and will make excuses for it.
This is not a discussion about the size of government or even the size of a police force. If you wish to the days of the late nineteenth century when towns hired bad guys to protect them from other bad guys then we can have that separate discussion.
Would that conservatives would focus on the real enemy and not straw men.