this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2024
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I'll tip my hat to the new Constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again

Yeah
Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 days ago (2 children)

If these Republican idiots actually believed in small government, they'd be Libertarians.

They'd still be idiots, but they'd be Libertarians.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago

Both love big gov, just slight differences in which wars they want to support and which industries will get government funding.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

If Libertarians were libertarians, they'd oppose the Taft-Hartley Act.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

If libertarians were libertarians, they'd know what the Taft-Hartley Act is... and maybe, who Taft and... Hartley are to begin with, but only if we're being really optimistic.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 days ago

It's never "small government" when it comes to funding pig.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Oh and their idea of small government is letting the rich stomp on you while police tanks roll though the streets mowing down anyone who doesn't bow to them.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 days ago (1 children)

And also way more expensive than big government

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 days ago

Well of course, it's about less taxes for the rich not less taxes. It's ok, all that wealth is gonna trickle down any time now.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

If government is actually the top power on the land with oversight over and the power to rule over everything, then the power of voters which choses the people who lead said government controls the top power on the land, which is what's known as Democracy (even when imperfect).

However if government ties its own hands so that it doesn't really oversee or rule over the domains were Money has the most power, then it's not the top power on the land anymore - Money is - and the votes of people do not control the highest power on the land anymore, they only control a secondary power, so what you have in not Democracy anymore, it's Oligarchy - Money is not democratic since doesn't have any "one person one vote" rule and instead some have billions of times more power than others.

"Small government" is really just a slogan for a government which has had its hands tied by reducing its funding so that it's unable to oversee, much less rule over, the areas where Money dominates, especially when it comes to facing the wealthiest people and companies. Mind you this only works if the other elements of Democracy are kept, so Money still wants a Judiciary and Law Enforcement independent of Government to uphold their ownership of things and stop the plebes from taking their shit, just a government weakenned in all other areas and unable to fight Money in the Courts.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

and by continuing to give the people the right to vote adds a veil of legitimacy to the power of the government so there is less of a chance of a uprising.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

which is what’s known as Democracy

Just because it's "known" as "democracy" because politicians and their crony media capitalists have been throwing the word around for a few centuries doesn't actually make it democracy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Well, Money de facto ruling over massive domains in a country, including access to life essentials, is the very opposite of Democracy.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 6 days ago

Republicans want tyranny, not small government.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 days ago

Government so small it fits not only within your bedroom, but within your uterus!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

There are people who, disturbed by "big government" today and its tendency to curb the advantages they might gain if their competitiveness were allowed free flow, demand "less govern- ment." Alas, there is no such thing as less government, merely changes in government. If the libertarians had their way, the distant bureaucracy would vanish and the local bully would be in charge. Personally, I prefer the distant bureaucracy, which may not find me, over the local bully, who certainly will. And all historical precedent shows a change to localism to be for the worse.

—Isaac Asimov, Nice Guys Finish First, collected in The Sun Shines Bright, 1981

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Me when "small government" supporters don't start by defunding the police

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

And now I shall imagine that's what all ftp:// URLs are saying.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 days ago

Fuck the poor, fuck the old, fuck the environment, fuck soldiers and veterans, fuck the sick, fuck food safety...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago

Pick up my guitar and play

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

"small government"

As long as you're a Cis white Christian male that didn't go to college

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

Surely small Government means repealing all that red tape enforcing individual property rights too?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

Updoots for use of "go on, get!".

There's a new improved version being pushed now which introduces itself by saying "fuck everyone except the incredibly wealthy".

[–] [email protected] 120 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (6 children)

Except the "Small government" is even bigger. The only difference is that all the money gets handed to oligarchs. The Republicans have never reduced spending while in power.

This kind of shit is why the right keeps winning. Even the people that oppose them buy into their framing and repeat their lies and propaganda.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago

Yeah, the fifth panel is the billionaires stuffing their private jets with the cash over the corpse of the big government.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 days ago

Fucking TSA, 2 decade long wars.... Republicans have NEVER reduced spending or increased liberties. It's all bullshit, but their propaganda machine is simply miles ahead because they have almost zero infighting.

Democrats are constantly bickering, and not about just important stuff. I fully believe there are bad actors purposefully starting arguments about BS they know Democrats will latch on and distract us. And as a bonus make us look like lunatics to anyone not already fully aligned with our ideas.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 days ago

Building giant walls, deporting people en masse, surveillance society, making sure women's rights are held at bay, placing and enforcing restrictions on clean energy - all things that sound "small government"? As dumb as they are, I don't think I've even heard the Republicans using this phrase lately - it's so ridiculous.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

The right is REALLY good at messaging it's insane. The culture wars they start have created a "bogeyman" and it's insane.

I really hate it and how it sticks to the zeitgeist. It just makes me sad.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

It's because the right gets what they want by tearing things down and destroying, and instilling fear. It's inherently much easier to destroy and scare people than to build and inspire people

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago

They increase spending on really stupid shit that have no legs but will absolutely gut useful services. People aren’t wrong to be mad when they see their stuff get defunded and that’s the important stuff many are going to focus on. So you’re right but it’s not as simple as that.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Is that not what this comic is saying?

Showing the blatant hypocrisy?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The comic shows a smaller govt and says that's bad for the poor.

The person to whom you're responding is saying Republicans actually create a bigger government that's worse for the poor.

They're spending less on social services and frittering it away on government bibles that only Trump sells.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

See I saw it as an irony type thing where the artist is showing the blatant hypocrisy of the idea of govt so small it fits into every household.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

No the comic is showing the government is litterally small, implying welfare cuts. Reality is, any "cuts" are just going to be moved somewhere else. Not given back to the tax payers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

That's fair I just thought it was done to showcase the hypocrisy of a govt small enough to fit in your pants.

[–] [email protected] 85 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Small gov't is usually a lie anyway. It's a smokescreen for "actually we're still going to tell you what to do."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

They compartmentalize accountability. It's easy to say it's some other guy. Then he gets fired, replaced and fights for the chance to have it happen again.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

It’s small because they have zero oversight and they only need to worry about one party. Hurray!

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They strip away everything that actually helps people, so in that way it's really small.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 days ago

So small it'll fit in your vagina.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The smallest government is a dictatorship.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago

Small dick tater