The only proper purpose of a government

[rightwinger]

In general:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed

In specific:
...in order to form a more perfect union, 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, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Huh?

What do you not understand?

The purpose of government, in the general sense:
Protect the rights of the people

The purpose of our specific government, as defined described and created by the constitution:
To form a more perfect union, 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 - all of which boiil down to protecting the rights of the people.

To form a more perfect union...


Pretty broad

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man’s rights, which means: to protect him from physical violence. A proper government is only a policeman, acting as an agent of man’s self-defense, and, as such, may resort to force only against those who start the use of force. The only proper functions of a government are: the police, to protect you from criminals; the army, to protect you from foreign invaders; and the courts, to protect your property and contracts from breach or fraud by others, to settle disputes by rational rules, according to objective law.

But a government that initiates the employment of force against men who had forced no one, the employment of armed compulsion against disarmed victims, is a nightmare infernal machine designed to annihilate morality: such a government reverses its only moral purpose and switches from the role of protector to the role of man’s deadliest enemy, from the role of policeman to the role of a criminal vested with the right to the wielding of violence against victims deprived of the right of self-defense. Such a government substitutes for morality the following rule of social conduct: you may do whatever you please to your neighbor, provided your gang is bigger than his.

I don't know if it's my turn to ask, but I will anyway...

...what the fuck are you trying to say?

Translation of the OP:

“I’m a naïve, fearful reactionary conservative who wants to return to an idealized American past that never existed to begin with.”

 

[rightwinger]

The proper purpose of government is to do what needs to be done

 

[NYcarbineer]

The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man’s rights, which means: to protect him from physical violence. A proper government is only a policeman, acting as an agent of man’s self-defense, and, as such, may resort to force only against those who start the use of force. The only proper functions of a government are: the police, to protect you from criminals; the army, to protect you from foreign invaders; and the courts, to protect your property and contracts from breach or fraud by others, to settle disputes by rational rules, according to objective law.

But a government that initiates the employment of force against men who had forced no one, the employment of armed compulsion against disarmed victims, is a nightmare infernal machine designed to annihilate morality: such a government reverses its only moral purpose and switches from the role of protector to the role of man’s deadliest enemy, from the role of policeman to the role of a criminal vested with the right to the wielding of violence against victims deprived of the right of self-defense. Such a government substitutes for morality the following rule of social conduct: you may do whatever you please to your neighbor, provided your gang is bigger than his.

I don't know if it's my turn to ask, but I will anyway...

...what the fuck are you trying to say?

Guess you don't read English.

I read English very well. I also write it very well. My writing is clear, concise, and easily understood.

When you say something like:

But a government that initiates the employment of force against men who had forced no one, the employment of armed compulsion against disarmed victims, is a nightmare infernal machine designed to annihilate morality:

it is not unreasonable for someone to ask for some sort of clarification.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

It’s interesting how many incorrectly perceive ‘the government’ as some separate entity, apart from the people – when in fact ‘the government’ is the people, acting at the behest of the people, and controlled by the people:

“A distinctive character of the National Government, the mark of its legitimacy, is that it owes its existence to the act of the whole people who created it.” US Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton (1995).

And consequently the people alone are ultimately responsible for all acts of government, both good and evil.

The “proper role of government,” therefore, is whatever the people determine it to be in the context of the Constitution and its case law; and when the people err and enact measures offensive to the Constitution, those injured may petition the government in Federal court for a redress of grievances, where measures found indeed to be offensive to the Constitution are invalidated by the courts, as authorized by the doctrine of judicial review.

Those concerned about the “proper role of government” would be well-advised to research and learn the facts of governance first, as opposed to contriving fantasies devoid of facts.

 

[NYcarbineer]

So who decided what the proper purpose of government is?

Was there a vote on that?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

We the People created the American government, which embodies the moral authority to enforce the law by violence if necessary against those who would violate it.

Are you 255 years old?

Didn't think so, so stop talking about how you made this country.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Much of what we do in life we do better as an individual. But what makes a great society is the ability to pool our resources and be more efficient and more powerful. Some functions are better performed as a society and the government serves the role of helping to pool those resources

Which proves that we need government to do that exactly how?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Damn, I was getting used to the freeways...

Freeways & roads could (among other non-force ways) be financed by a gov. lottery.

I'm not partial to toll roads...

Don't use them.

 

[Vox]

The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man’s rights, which means: to protect him from physical violence. A proper government is only a policeman, acting as an agent of man’s self-defense, and, as such, may resort to force only against those who start the use of force. The only proper functions of a government are: the police, to protect you from criminals; the army, to protect you from foreign invaders; and the courts, to protect your property and contracts from breach or fraud by others, to settle disputes by rational rules, according to objective law.

But a government that initiates the employment of force against men who had forced no one, the employment of armed compulsion against disarmed victims, is a nightmare infernal machine designed to annihilate morality: such a government reverses its only moral purpose and switches from the role of protector to the role of man’s deadliest enemy, from the role of policeman to the role of a criminal vested with the right to the wielding of violence against victims deprived of the right of self-defense. Such a government substitutes for morality the following rule of social conduct: you may do whatever you please to your neighbor, provided your gang is bigger than his.

true.
===
Now expect the flood of gubmint fanatics to sing their odas to the structure which is inefficient, abusive, self-serving and in a constant need to be controlled and cut by a default.
and they say that atheists don't need gods. sure they do - gubmint is their god

 

[Quantum Windbag]

It's not even a police man, it's more like a "clean up" police man. In a free country, you have the "right to commit a crime" before the State can act on you.

And no, I don't mean you literally have the right to commit crimes. Simply, you cannot be charged or arrested "pre-emptivly."

Of course you can. Conspiracy to commit crime is actionable by the authorities.

Non conspiracy, however, is not.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The only proper purpose of a government is to protect man’s rights, which means: to protect him from physical violence. A proper government is only a policeman, acting as an agent of man’s self-defense, and, as such, may resort to force only against those who start the use of force. The only proper functions of a government are: the police, to protect you from criminals; the army, to protect you from foreign invaders; and the courts, to protect your property and contracts from breach or fraud by others, to settle disputes by rational rules, according to objective law.

But a government that initiates the employment of force against men who had forced no one, the employment of armed compulsion against disarmed victims, is a nightmare infernal machine designed to annihilate morality: such a government reverses its only moral purpose and switches from the role of protector to the role of man’s deadliest enemy, from the role of policeman to the role of a criminal vested with the right to the wielding of violence against victims deprived of the right of self-defense. Such a government substitutes for morality the following rule of social conduct: you may do whatever you please to your neighbor, provided your gang is bigger than his.

I don't know if it's my turn to ask, but I will anyway...

...what the fuck are you trying to say?

Translation of the OP:

“I’m a naïve, fearful reactionary conservative who wants to return to an idealized American past that never existed to begin with.”

Translation of Jones:

I really hate that everyone on the planet is smarter than I am, so I pretend to be smart by saying things that seem smart to me.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The proper purpose of government is to do what needs to be done

That sounds like something Stalin would say.

 

[Alfalfa]

I don't know if it's my turn to ask, but I will anyway...

...what the fuck are you trying to say?

Translation of the OP:

“I’m a naïve, fearful reactionary conservative who wants to return to an idealized American past that never existed to begin with.”

Translation of Jones:

I really hate that everyone on the planet is smarter than I am, so I pretend to be smart by saying things that seem smart to me.

A pretty low hurdle.

 

[National Socialist]

No thanks.I have seen what libertardians have in store...it ain't good.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

It’s interesting how many incorrectly perceive ‘the government’ as some separate entity, apart from the people – when in fact ‘the government’ is the people, acting at the behest of the people, and controlled by the people:

This is going to be fun.

FYI, when a government sets up a separate class of people that are exempt from the law, like it does when it says that police officers can have access to different things than non regular people, or when a judge issues a restraining order that prevents someone from saying bad things about a politician, no sane person can argue that the government and the people are the same.

“A distinctive character of the National Government, the mark of its legitimacy, is that it owes its existence to the act of the whole people who created it.” US Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton (1995).

Sounds good, but if you really could argue the position you have you wouldn't need to resort to a case citation that doesn't prove your point.

And consequently the people alone are ultimately responsible for all acts of government, both good and evil.

Simply put, no one is responsible for anything they vociferously oppose simply because a bunch of other idiots voted in the guy that did it into office.

See what I mean about the case citation not making the point you wanted to make?

Never mind, I forgot I was talking to the guy that thinks case law defines the Constitution.

The “proper role of government,” therefore, is whatever the people determine it to be in the context of the Constitution and its case law; and when the people err and enact measures offensive to the Constitution, those injured may petition the government in Federal court for a redress of grievances, where measures found indeed to be offensive to the Constitution are invalidated by the courts, as authorized by the doctrine of judicial review.

Even if the people determine that the proper role of the government is to tell people not to criticize religion, or politicians?

Alabama Blogger Roger Shuler Arrested For Violation of Unconstitutional Injunction | Popehat

Please don't try to argue that the Constitution prevents things it doesn't. If the Constitution actually prevented things like this from happening, we wouldn't have any fucking need to point out all the things that the government routinely does that are unconstitutional.

Those concerned about the “proper role of government” would be well-advised to research and learn the facts of governance first, as opposed to contriving fantasies devoid of facts.

Like the fact less post you just spouted in an attempt to argue that you are smarter than my cat?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

So who decided what the proper purpose of government is?

Was there a vote on that?

Smart people like century, Adam Smith, John Locke, Jean-Baptiste Say, Thomas Malthus, and David Ricardo, which is why you missed it in history class.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Translation of the OP:

“I’m a naïve, fearful reactionary conservative who wants to return to an idealized American past that never existed to begin with.”

Translation of Jones:

I really hate that everyone on the planet is smarter than I am, so I pretend to be smart by saying things that seem smart to me.

A pretty low hurdle.

I agree, which is why I find it impossible to believe that you cannot manage it.

 

[Alfalfa]

Translation of Jones:

I really hate that everyone on the planet is smarter than I am, so I pretend to be smart by saying things that seem smart to me.

A pretty low hurdle.

I agree, which is why I find it impossible to believe that you cannot manage it.

I haven't tried.

 

[Doubletap]

No thanks.I have seen what libertardians have in store...it ain't good.

How so?