Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Fighting our way to big government: Jon Dougherty examines history, growth of Uncle Sam's power
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Friday, July 25, 2003 | Jon Dougherty

Posted on 07/25/2003 12:26:34 AM PDT by JohnHuang2

If you pay attention at all to politics – and sadly, too many Americans do not – you've noticed that in the span of your lifetime, however long that may be, government on virtually all levels has grown in size, scope, power and especially cost. Nowhere is this more evident than on the federal level.

Hiring 2 percent of the nation's workforce, the federal government is the country's largest employer, with salaries for federal employees well above average at $52,000 annually. Our founding fathers never envisioned Uncle Sam as the country's CEO.

The first federal budget in 1789 was just over $1 million. Now, however, the federal budget has grown to an estimated $2.7 trillion by 2008 (with a $400 billion-plus deficit, unless revenues increase), and much of it is dedicated to entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other forms of welfare. Our founding fathers did not envision the government becoming chief nanny and caretaker of the people.

In most political systems, the natural progression of government is growth – in power, size, cost and scope. But our founding fathers wrote a governing document – our Constitution – that specifically laid out the powers, size and scope of the federal government. So what happened?

Apathy among the electorate quickly comes to mind, but truth be known, that is a secondary reaction. The political apathy seen today was born out of years of hopeless frustration spread out among generations of voters who helplessly witnessed unbridled federal government growth.

A new website founded by the Independent Institute is now attempting to explain this phenomenal growth in government. Essentially, argue analysts at OnPower.org, the U.S. government literally fought its way to gigantism.

According to institute senior fellow Robert Higgs, he writes in his new book Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government, "the main reason for such growth lies in government's responses to national 'crises' (real or imagined), including economic upheavals (e.g., the Great Depression) and especially wars (Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Cold War, etc.)."

"The result is ever-increasing state power, which endures long after each crisis has passed – fostering extensive corporate welfare and pork, raising taxes, and undermining civil and economic liberties and economic growth," Higgs argues. "Moreover, crises are usually the creation of earlier government interventions and the flouting of constitutional law. Thus, government action begets further government action in an endless 'death spiral.'"

Special interest groups, Higgs says, use such crises management to their advantage. They essentially shame self-serving lawmakers – most of whom are always eager to trade portions of the Treasury for votes – into expanding benefits or rights, always at the expense of our productive, liberty-minded citizens.

"Limiting government encroachment is especially difficult as long as the citizenry remain uninformed of its true effects," says OnPower.org. "In short, the expanding of government's economic and social power is deeply intertwined with the pursuit of war and empire."

Our founders didn't create the United States to be the global empire it has become.

Revolutionary War hero and first president George Washington said, "Observe good faith and justice towards all Nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and Morality enjoin this conduct; and can it be, that good policy does not equally enjoin it? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and, at no distant period, a great Nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence."

Providing the world with a "novel example of ... benevolence" is hard to do when you are attacking or occupying them. Each time that happens, it's labeled a "crisis" which, in turn, fosters bigger, more powerful, more expensive and more freedom-restricting government. Waiting in the wings are the special interest groups and lawmakers who will also use that crisis to expand Washington's control.

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force," Washington observed. "Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

Welcome to the United States, circa 2003, where American government has fought long and hard to become as big as it is.


TOPICS: Editorial; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: biggovernment; wodlist
Friday, July 25, 2003

Quote of the Day by Paul Atreides

1 posted on 07/25/2003 12:26:35 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
John, there is a microcosm/macrocosm thing going on here- what you see at the Federal level is echoed back through state, local, county, and city governments.

I see it here in my tiny ( 15,000 souls ) southern city- but it's there at county level, and in the state of Georgia's government, too.

During the 1990's- which I have dubbed "the decade of fraud(s)"- revenues expanded like crazy during the unsustainable bubble economy... and so did the levels of government expansion. The various government entities counted on an ever-expanding, never-ending boom to cover their shortfalls.

Then the bubble burst- as they always do.

Suddenly, you hear screeching- "We gotta have More Money! It's for the sake of the children!"

But you know what? You can't get blood from a turnip, no matter how hard you press it.
The money is not there.
The well is dry, and no amount of rhetoric is going to put water back into it.

They need to cut spending- like any family or business does when faced with hard times.

Then they need to slash taxes, and regulations- get off businesses backs, so they can expand and hire more people.

Then, and only then, will you see things turn around.

2 posted on 07/25/2003 1:30:27 AM PDT by backhoe (Just an old Cold Warrior, draggin' his BAR into the sunset...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: backhoe
They need to cut spending- like any family or business does when faced with hard times.

Amen, friend. G'morning to ya, btw.

3 posted on 07/25/2003 1:34:28 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
If you knew what I knew about global databases and coalitions/alliances, you'd know that the size of FED gov. is no longer the issue. They've made so many int'l deals w/other countries that the line is totally blurred.

What I mean by deals is that there are organizations to handle things like insurance laws - but now, it's no longer fed laws - it's int'l laws and int'l organizations all sharing databases. Another example - maritime laws and groups - now, they're strictly global. And participation is not a problem, in fact, the US tends to be the first to suggest this inter-cooperation. But in the end, we lose sovereignty and blend in w/the other countries, like one big government.

4 posted on 07/25/2003 1:45:35 AM PDT by bets
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
If you knew what I knew about global databases and coalitions/alliances, you'd know that the size of FED gov. is no longer the issue. They've made so many int'l deals w/other countries that the line is totally blurred.

What I mean by deals is that there are organizations to handle things like insurance laws - but now, it's no longer fed laws - it's int'l laws and int'l organizations all sharing databases. Another example - maritime laws and groups - now, they're strictly global. And participation is not a problem, in fact, the US tends to be the first to suggest this inter-cooperation. But in the end, we lose sovereignty and blend in w/the other countries, like one big government.

5 posted on 07/25/2003 1:47:11 AM PDT by bets
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2

6 posted on 07/25/2003 2:12:11 AM PDT by backhoe (Just an old keyboard cowboy, ridin' the trackball into the sunset...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2; *Wod_list; jmc813
"the main reason for such growth lies in government's responses to national 'crises' (real or imagined), including economic upheavals (e.g., the Great Depression) and especially wars (Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Cold War, etc.)."

Don't forget the War On Some Drugs, in whose name we've kissed a number of Constitutional rights goodbye.

7 posted on 07/25/2003 6:01:29 AM PDT by MrLeRoy (The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. - Jefferson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MrLeRoy
Don't forget the War On Some Drugs, in whose name we've kissed a number of Constitutional rights goodbye.

Once again, the moral-liberal idealogues show their true agenda by bringing up the subject of drugs.

Why don't you take another bong hit and go back to DU where you belong?

Also provide evidence for your claim.

8 posted on 07/26/2003 9:02:59 AM PDT by ActionNewsBill (Police state? What police state?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ActionNewsBill
No-knock raids. Asset forfeiture.
9 posted on 07/28/2003 5:59:37 AM PDT by MrLeRoy (The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. - Jefferson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
Fiscal Responsibility Bump.
10 posted on 07/28/2003 9:39:07 AM PDT by DoctorMichael (>>>>>Liberals Suk. Liberalism Sukz.<<<<<)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson