patrick.net

well said

With all of the media propaganda, the glen becks, rush limbaughs, faux news, right wing/left wing nuts out there... people respond to drama. It's alot easier to blame the problems of the country on the government than to admit we voted for them.

I do find it ironic that the pundits that scream about how poorly the country is run - and purport to be there for the little guy - make millions of dollars each year from the people who can afford it least. Faux news sponsored the t-parties and made money off the sponsors while claiming to be agents of "change." Sarah Palin makes millions off of a failed run for the VP, had a ghost writer for her book and now is a pundit for faux news. All the while, claiming to be there for the "little guy." Yea, right.

It goes both ways - both right wing & left wing pundits make millions while the unemployment rate rises. People want to blame someone and they listen to everything they're told. Mob mentality sucks.

It's hard to hate the government when it is we...

I don't hate the Government, I don't care for people that try to marginalize the government by being a Unilateral Proxy of the Democratic process.

Anyone party only has a marginal 50% majority. I reality there is no Majority, so one party can't just ignore the other 50% while claiming to speak for that other, even as they rapidly lose that majority support from their own constituents then govern by "At all cost" and "It's better than nothing".

If your party is truly throwing a Coup against the American democratic process, then God Damn it you better some "Great" accomplishments in your legacy. Vague shouts of "Change" and ending up by "Chance" with half assed half backed compromised fractured "better than nothing" legislation.

Then it wont take long for History to catch up with that ideology and beat the living hell out of it. Pseudo Legacy legislation as the Democrats have been leading with for a year, has already played it's course. They lost and they have them selves to blame. They had the deck stacked from top to bottom, and for the Democrats to now belly ache, and blame the Republicans, and every one else. And BTW, I'm an Interdependent and he never had my vote, which the media keeps claiming he had the Independents and have lost them.

The Liberals couldn't even get a Congress and Senate full of Liberals to buy their own crap they were selling each other. It is 110% the fault of the Democrats to have not passed any tangible in this first year. KNOCK on ehping wood! I'll take my Victories any way I can.

I just can't believe anyone really pays 45% in the USA. I don't see how it's possible, even in California.

If you're making over $100K but less than $200K, you may get up to the maximum marginal rate of 35% Fed and 9% CA, but that ignores all the income below that marginal rate, which is taxed at lower percentages.

If you make more than $200K, you probably get more of your income from long-term capital gains and dividends, which are taxed only at 15% because class warfare is over and the rich won that war during the Bush years.

And if you make some absurd amount of money, you probably pay even less because you have good lawyers.

RayAmerica says

I suggest you read the Constitution of the United States for a definition of why government exists.

Actually the Declaration of Independence is a better guide.

I just can’t believe anyone really pays 45% in the USA. I don’t see how it’s possible, even in California.

When you factor in state, local, federal, FICA, Medicare, sales, energy, unemployment, fuel, etc... and the hidden tax of inflation I would suspect that it is closer to 50% of our annual income is confiscated by the bureaucracy. For our own good of course.

AdHominem says

Actually the Declaration of Independence is a better guide.

I have no problem using the Declaration as a "guide" while using the Constitution as an instrument in limiting the powers of the centralized government.

RayAmerica says

AdHominem says

Actually the Declaration of Independence is a better guide.

I have no problem using the Declaration as a “guide” while using the Constitution as an instrument in limiting the powers of the centralized government.

OK Ray,

Merely pointing out that the Declaration tells is WHAT many early Americans believed about government, whereas the Constitution describes HOW we are attempting to achieve these ideals.

Therefore the Declaration of Independence is a better source of WHY early Americans believed government exists. The Constitution primarily tells us how, not why.

I just can’t believe anyone really pays 45% in the USA. I don’t see how it’s possible, even in California.
If you’re making over $100K but less than $200K, you may get up to the maximum marginal rate of 35% Fed and 9% CA, but that ignores all the income below that marginal rate, which is taxed at lower percentages.
If you make more than $200K, you probably get more of your income from long-term capital gains and dividends, which are taxed only at 15% because class warfare is over and the rich won that war during the Bush years.
And if you make some absurd amount of money, you probably pay even less because you have good lawyers.

Have you ever seen property taxes in NJ? In North Jersey, middle class families are paying $12k in taxes their homes.

do you like the way the government solved that big problem we had with hemp and marijuana? through prohibition?

I think to answer the OP, I would say I don't hate the idea of government. I hate that we have a polarized, non-functional, corrupt government that is either unable or unwilling to put the good of the nation ahead of partisan and lobbyist interests. This broken government we have is the product of both parties.

America was born because the colonists got pissed off with an uncaring, distant government. Figuratively I believe the majority of Americans today believe our current government is the same. I believe our representatives in D.C. are totally unfamiliar with our daily lives and struggles. Sure, they give good sound bites about how they stopped by the Salvation Army store and saw some black kid something or other. How many of those people in Congress ever worked for minimum wage, EVER? Most of them are from privileged backgrounds and truly have no concept of what Americans are living with today.

Personally I'd like to see a smaller more focused government. I just don't see how we're going to get there when during the greatest economic crisis of our generation you have congressional committees being called to grill the White House party crashers. REALLY, nothing better to do with your time Mr. Congressman?!

Hating the government has been a favorite pastime of people everywhere in the world since the first governments were formed.

In the US, I hate the government for its inability to operate in a rational and somewhat transparent manner. As an engineer, I'm appalled at our complete inability to make simple and rational decisions. I'd rather have an honest government doing things that I don't support than the convoluted mess that we have today that is ostensibly doing what I'd like.