And here's one other reason government is good: Somalia is doing horribly without it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbfHTUx7yYw

Interstate highways (in the U.S.). I would love to be educated how this government program isn't considered a resounding success.

I wish there was a government program that would smack some sense into Koolay.

Can't fix stupid, Capn.

Quote:Irrelevent. Government forced roads upon us, if our world existed without governments, the world's economic system would be completely different. Free market entities only use roads because they are there.

This may be the most stunningly stupid thing I've read all day. I'm tempted to use it as my signature. Government forced roads on us? WTF? The need for roads has been recognized by steely-eyed businessmen (think of yourself, then add reason and a knowledge of how the real world works) for millennia. Christ on a pogo stick, man, haven't you heard of ancient trade routes -- you know, roads? They were a good idea then and remain so today. Why? Because "free market entities" discovered that carrier pigeons are shitty at hauling freight.

As for the U.S. Interstate Highway system, in addition to the considerable reductions in cost to businesses sending and receiving freight, consider the revenue that has been earned by all of those businesses that you see clustered around the exits of these highways. They didn't spring up like mushrooms overnight. They were built by businesspeople who saw a golden opportunity -- an opportunity that wasn't there before the big, bad government decided to modernize the country's road system.

Really, they're there. As soon as your mom lets you drive the family car farther than around the block, take a road trip sometime and find out for yourself.

Quote:Plus the government takes approximately half the earnings of every citizen, are you saying a free way is more profitable than literally half the earnings of everyone USA?

Now that's irrelevant!

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(August 23, 2013 at 11:36 pm)cato123 Wrote: Interstate highways (in the U.S.). I would love to be educated how this government program isn't considered a resounding success.

The funny thing is that of all the instances of successful government programs I could think of (many were mentioned by other members), I chose the Interstate highway system because it is so obviously business-friendly. I thought that Koolay would be bound to concede the point.

Unreasoning fundamentalists, it seems, aren't confined to churches and mosques. Some of them read (and pretend to understand) the Wall Street Journal -- at least when they're not masturbating to Ayn Rand's picture.

I don't mind contributing to the funding of education with my tax dollars. It is to both my personal and general advantage to live in a country where the future citizens are being given a robust education. Makes it likely that fewer will grow up to be superstitious morons or insane douchebags with immature quasi-anarchist wet dreams. I'd pay more taxes if the monies were guaranteed to fund education programs.

(August 23, 2013 at 7:53 pm)Koolay Wrote: Irrelevent. Government forced roads upon us, if our world existed without governments, the world's economic system would be completely different. Free market entities only use roads because they are there.

Roads existed ever since humans learned to travel.

The first roads such as the silk trail where actualy built by the free market for the purpose of trade. Roads were not "forced on mankind" by goverment. Roads came into existance through human travel. Goverments have merely been insuring that those roads are in a good and safe state ever since the Romans started reeinforcing them.

But who am I joking, you are ignorant of todays reality, so why should you care about historic facts?

Social Security. Medicare. Education program (pre-cuts). Police and firefighter programs. Department of transportation (US highways sure seem to let me get anywhere in the country I wanna get to via car very well). There's plenty more.

(August 24, 2013 at 1:18 am)CapnAwesome Wrote: I wish there was a government program that would smack some sense into Koolay.

There kind if is.

I'd really like to see Koolaid answer this one.

(August 23, 2013 at 11:14 pm)popeyespappy Wrote:

Problem: Large numbers of miners are being killed in mining accidents.

Cause: Mining companies value profit more than life and refuse to implement basic safety standards.

Solution: Government institutes a program that requires mining companies to implement basic safety standards.

Effect: Immediate and large drop in the number of miners killed in work related accidents.