TreeHugger, either the writers nor the commenters, ever want to discuss what should be a fundamental question within Society: WHAT is the role of Government? So when someone there decides to squeak out an opinion on this, I jump all over it. In a post (“The Comeback of Small Cars and Trucks Is Good for Everyone“) that I thought was a tad too early for publication (although the price of gas is starting to jump upwards which does influence consumer decisions), commenter Annie Cass decided to throw shade at me after I made a comment on a post’s quote:
The North American approach is to ignore aerodynamics and put in bigger batteries. But Cobée said that won’t work long term: “People will start limiting weight and battery sizes, either through tax, through incentives, through regulation, through naming and shaming.”
Hardly true – the curtain was pulled back as soon as I saw “either through tax…regulation”. People don’t tax and people don’t regulate – that’s the domain of Government only. And like always, I couldn’t resist:
“
PeopleGovernment will start limiting weight and battery sizes, either through tax, through incentives, through regulation, through naming and shaming.”There, I fixed it for you. Mostly because you have no faith that people will make “your” right choices.
It’s true – Progressives/Socialists wants Government to make all kinds of decisions in every area of your life. Doubt me? Name one area in which Government has not intruded – I dare you!
And signal Annie Cass to enter:
Grok, in a democracy, government IS people. You’re in the US, so I understand that you’ve not experienced this, but in democratic countries the job of government is to work towards what the majority need.
She’s absolutely right that I haven’t. It’s also clear that she has no idea what is SHOULD be here in the US (heck, with our education system, we that do seem to be dwindling few)
Here in the US, the Proper Role of Government is supposed to be protecting peoples’ Liberties.
Once again, a huge difference – Needs vs Liberties. What Government should do FOR you versus Government that should stay out of your way and leave you alone. THAT is a concept that is very foreign to those in other countries. Sadly, with the growth of the Welfare State, too many citizens have “learned” that their lives can be totally provisioned by Mommy Government: food, healthcare, transportation, housing, clothing, and more.
But Annie was absolutely right in one aspect:
Well, you are correct – the US is NOT a democracy.
While it does use democratic processes, it is a Constitutional Republic – far different in structure, form, and function than a majoritarian democracy (e.g., mobocracy, which our Founding Fathers rejected as history taught them that democracy were too apt to fall into tyranny).
I was hoping to get an immediate response – thus far, nada. I’ll update this post if there is one.
