Small Government

By Robert Morris Hammond

Why I believe in small government.

This belief that people are fundamentally flawed, self-centered, and not perfectible is not cynical or pessimistic. On the contrary, this belief is why we have (and need!) a system of Checks and Balances. We need to hold back people's proclivity to impose tyranny, which is also a depraved human act. This depraved tyranny comes about because there are people who believe other people do not know what to do or what is best for them, or because they enjoy telling others what to do.

The system of Checks and Balances is in place to spread out power so as to prevent the consolidation of power into the hands of too few people. Currently, there is a contempt for and a defiance of this system of Checks and Balances from members of both major parties. This lack of respect for our Checks and Balances is the reason for the birth of the Tea Party and other like-minded groups, who all share a similar deep concern for our country.

When looking at human history, every time a country or empire attempts to imposes Big Government Socialism, also known as Progressivism, it has failed with deadly and disastrous results by causing one, if not all three, of the following: war, poverty, and famine. This system of government by Progressivism was tried by the British in the 1960's & 1970's. It failed and is referred to as the "Winter of Their Discontent." It was so bad that people in hospitals needed family and friends to change their bed sheets and wash the bedding at home as the hospital staff had neither the resources nor the manpower to keep all patients on clean bedding. This same Progressivism was tried in Russia through Lenin which resulted in the death of over 50 million people. Soon there after, the Chinese tried it with Mao leading this change which lead to the death of over 55 million people. It has been tried in Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Mozambique, and Nicaragua just to name a few more countries within the last 100 years. It was tried in France when they attempted to make the Virtuous Man who would be perfect by being freed of religion and income disparity. This brought about The Great Terror where thousands were beheaded. The Romans attempted this about 200 years before Christ with the same disastrous results. This Progressivism was attempted by the Pilgrims in 1620. After half of the people died including 14 of the 18 women, by 1623, people were given some land to farm for themselves and thus began Free Enterprise because there were those who did not work for the community.

Progressivism always fails and usually leads to the death of millions. The belief you can get something for nothing, which is the government taking things like money or food by force from people and giving it to others to pay for their extra education or health care, is the start of Progressivism. It works until you run out of other people's money. The basic tenant of Progressivism is, "From each according to his ability, and to each according to his need." The only problem with this tenant is + Human Nature.

The only good and virtuous "progressive" government is that which limits government. This is a liberating, liberal idea. The Declaration of Independence is the WHY we need the Checks and Balances and the US Constitution is the HOW to properly conduct ourselves with and within these wonderful liberal ideas of freeing people from tyranny through a limited small government by the use of Checks and Balances. Thus, a Conservative, which is what I am, is someone who wishes to conserve the wonderful, liberating liberal idea of a small government with Checks and Balances enshrined in our Founding Documents through a Constitutional Republic.

A Conservative is someone who loves this country and this government, not someone who hates them. Conservatives have a deep appreciation for the Rule of Law. Conservatives enjoy Law and Order but through a small, limited government which is to enforce those few items which are delineated in the US Constitution. Conservatives support small, reasonable, responsibly-run, financially frugal, limited government. We are willing to pay for this!

I am against an all-powerful, all-controlling State that ignores the US Constitution, thinks it knows best, and thinks it is entitled to as much of mine and your money, property, and labor as it wants while making what ever grievous burdens, under the disguise of laws and fees, it wants to impose on us, while exempting its own, whether or not it has our consent. This is also known as Elitism.

As George Washington said, "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." The fire alarms are sounding. All of our government institutions, at both the state and federal level, are on fire. This fiery beast is never full or satisfied. Grab the fire extinguishers of voting and let us put this beast back in its rightful place + as our servant.