Is government necessary? Please explain exactly ...

Thomas Jack, you'd make a splendid conservative republican!

I LOVE this question!

It is intelligent.

It is 40+ years too late.

WHY are not  MILLIONS MORE of us asking this question?

The way the country was set up the Federal government had ONE purpose....PROTECT the citizens. They'd serve 2 terms and then go home & tend to their farms. Now people grow up & strive to be life long legislators (hey, with the perks and a 93 day work year why not!)

Turn the page (thank you Paul Harvey) now WE have allowed the federal government into every aspect of our lives!

WHY in God's name is it the province of the Federal Government to tell us we must have HD television by 2009???????

Since Roosevelt & Truman the wicking of government into our lives started and hit it zenith with LBJ & his Great Society....you know those splendid models of efficiency & great results...like Welfare, Education, the Department of Health, Education & Welfare and other similar "relax We'll Take care of ALL Your Problems" Departments.

We desperately need to get the federal government out of our daily lives & let PRIVITIZATION work....it always has & always will.

The ONLY thing the Federal government can do better for us than we can is to protect us.....EVERYTHING else we can do better for ourselvs!

fredst this guy doesn't just want the federal government out of his daily life, he is an anarchist...aren't you?

No, I am certainly not an anarchist.

If I were to resort to name calling I could ask if you're a Liberal. As an example I repeat what I'd asked earlier: WHY in God's name is it the province of the Federal Government to tell us we must have HD television by 2009???????

WE have allowed the Federal Government (by our laziness & lack of education by our public schools)  FAR too much power....read the Federalist Papers, it was never ever to have been like this. I know times have changed but the concept of Federal power was never designed to be like this.

Time & space prevents me from listing the far-too-long list of failed government programs....many of which we keep funding.

The Federal Government has been allowed to grow far too powerful & intrusive!

Your question was non-specific as to any type of government. All creatures follow a leader. Animals follow the alpha in packs, or herds. Animals that do not herd or pack are at the mercy of any entity that is larger, stronger, or more aggressive. For this reason we elect leaders to give us direction. That, by definition, is "Government". Our particular form of government was designed to insure that we...as the citizens...are in charge of the government's actions. Other than protection of our liberties, and the protection from foreign powers they should be limited in control.

However, the "squeaky wheels"( homosexuals, minorities, illegal immigrants, ultra-liberals etc...) with the assistance of all of the major networks are guilting the majority of Americans into believing that it's necessary to have laws enacted to protect a minority of the populous. Another problem is The Democratic National Committee. Their agenda...if one will only look... is to convert to Socialism. More Government programs, more government control. Make the haves provide for the have nots. Of course that only applies to those of us who work for a living. Not to the leaders of the party. They will continue to lead their extravagant lifestyle. We will be punished for production through taxation.

Another problem of course is the Republican Party. They are a prime example of capitalism run amok. Most of them are heavily invested in the industries that they enact legislation to favor ie. pharmaceuticals, oil, telecommunications etc... That alone isn't, nor should it be a disqualifier. However, what should be a disqualifier(regardless of party) is intentionally enacting, or blocking legislation that violates the public trust. We have the right to expect them to act in the best interest of the country. 

Look around you. Billions of dollars going to India, and Pakistan. IN CASH!!!

Billions going to Mexico.CASH!!!

China. Un-countable CASH!!!

Most of the trade regulations that allow that to happen was put into effect during either the Carter, or Clinton administrations.

If you believe the Media about the Mexicans "Only doing the jobs that Americans don't want to do", then you are truly driving with your eyes closed. There are in excess of 12,000,000 building highways, hospitals, airports, homes, etc... That means that the same amount of American citizens, of all ethnic backgrounds, trained craftsmen, are out of work, or have been pushed to menial labor. 12,000,000 people (illegal) worth of fuel being used.

Hotels, Motels, and Convenience stores have been taken over by easterners that are basically being run like a giant pyramid scam. They do business by handshake. When they have been here long enough that they owe taxes they pass the business to another. That person will pay them until he owes taxes, then pass it to another.

These things do not happen without the government being aware of it. This is a phenomenon of the Bush administration.

Our entire political election process has become a "Dog and Pony" show. Until it is reformed we will never have a representative government.

I am certainly not a liberal! I agree with you about the federal government, I was speaking to you about thomas Jack who posted this question, I think he is an anarchist. He doesn't see any need for any government at all.

I think it is a relevant question from a young person.

We see these wealthy (every one has entered with at least a 200K net worth & by definition (our tax code) that makes them wealthy), they are chauffeured around, eat in a special, gourmet facility at greatly reduced rates, get reduced haircut rates, get a lifelong pension (that transfers to their spouse upon death) after serving only one term, contribute to a pension plan that the President modeled his plan for Social Security after, but yet they claim was too risky for us and...to top it all off worked on 97 days this congressional session....leaving town with the Leadership not allowing votes on key issues.

Yeah, I think it may be a very relevant question!

Maybe it should be "Why do we need THIS particular government?"

Thomas Jack, you pose an excellent question.  I hope to provide a convincing answer.

We need government to prevent the miseries we would suffer without it.  We work best together, toward a set of agreed-upon goals.  We have that in America -- or rather, we HAD it until Obama.

Read the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Ammendments.  These, you will find, are a concise writing of the need for a people to stand together, defend one another, have a fair medium of trade, assure a safe work place, and avoid the miseries that anarchy always brings about.

The saddest fact of all is that ours is the freest government the world has ever seen, but it didn't come easily.  We got good and fed up with the abuses of monarchy, we almost went to war over the abuses of socialism and communism, and the entire world said that they had enough with the Soviet Union which is why it fell like a load of -- something that comes out of the wrong end of a steer.

ANY government functions best to maintain stability.  Insane upheavals, of course, only start wars which explains Obama start to finish and why the dimwit Democrats foisted him off on people who know ABSOLUTELY nothing about the government of a free nation.

We conquered communism by discrediting its core beliefs -- in the harsh light of reality.

I only hope that we survive Obama so that we can rise from the ashes wise enough not to let that sort of lunatic past the gate again.

Why government? Look to the preamble of our American Constitution:

"To establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

I never heard it put better than that.