A disturbing trend

[KeithKSR]

I am seeing more and more people trying to shout down those questioning the government. Do people actually think the government has our best interests at heart?

[dan_bgblue]

Only to the extent that they can keep us alive, working, and paying taxes.

[UKHistory]

I am seeing more and more people trying to shout down those questioning the government. Do people actually think the government has our best interests at heart?

If you don't think the government has our best interests at heart then you should be organizing a revolution. I am serious.

People should question the government and people have the right to raise concerns.

I am a big believer in people petitioning the government and protesting even in instances people would support issues I would disagree with. The pandemic has made less vocal in support for public assembly to promote safety.

That said I need to hear what the protesters are wanting and the time frame they would like to see things opened up.

[Doc]

I am seeing more and more people trying to shout down those questioning the government. Do people actually think the government has our best interests at heart?

Initially it was about health but now its become political. The government has the best interests of the politicians at heart. Hopefully those who serve them have similar interests.

[Catonahottinroof]

As with anything else of this nature, it’s gotten past being about safety and has become more about control of the populace.

Initially it was about health but now its become political. The government has the best interests of the politicians at heart. Hopefully those who serve them have similar interests.

[kingcat]

It's certainly political. They have a right to express their views and the opposition does too.

But as we have reminded ourselves over and over in this forum for a few years now, most public protests are politically motivated and professionally organized to that end.
For the most part..this is no different. And targeted in nature.
I will agree it's sad to see something like this pandemic used as a political tool...and each should try to clean their own house before confronting the other.

But, protest should start at the White House steps. Otherwise, it's all rather duplicitous in nature imo.

And I think deep down, most know this whether we choose to admit it or not.

[CitizenBBN]

If you don't think the government has our best interests at heart then you should be organizing a revolution. I am serious.

Where do I sign up?

The government never has our best interests at heart. People within the government will, but not all. But the overall mechanism of any entity, be it governmental or corporate, academic, etc. starts to function with rules and goals that are not the same as the stated overall rules and goals of the entity.

You can get ahead in corporate America etc. by making your department look good at the expense of another. Universities with the stated goal of educating students rewards professors for high profile publishing despite being lousy teachers, etc.

Government in the end has the interests of government as the goal, and that's just human nature.

Even now, medical people in their view are being benevolent and trying to serve and protect the people, but of course they bring their own biases and assumptions to the table, which may not agree with everyone else's.

The problem is simple, inexorable, undeniable and currently unfixable:

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The only solution is to decentralize as much as possible so there is as little power vested in any area as possible, be it government, or corporations, etc.

that's the promise of true free markets. Not the modern merchantilism people mistake for capitalism, but real level playing field capitalism without the mountain of political stacking of the deck.

[Doc]

I always wonder does politic attract the corrupt or does politics make you corrupt?

This follows the same line.... do the power hungry gravitate to politics or does politics make you power hungry? Many parts of this "lockdown" are power grabbing policies. Its sort of "what can we force you to do?" Can't buy seeds, paint or a gun but can by beer, lotto and get an abortion. Gesh, am I more likely to pick up covid in a liquor store or at Porter Paint?

[dan_bgblue]

Gesh, am I more likely to pick up covid in a liquor store or at Porter Paint?

No doubt your risk is higher in that paint store.

[CitizenBBN]

I always wonder does politic attract the corrupt or does politics make you corrupt?

This follows the same line.... do the power hungry gravitate to politics or does politics make you power hungry? Many parts of this "lockdown" are power grabbing policies. Its sort of "what can we force you to do?" Can't buy seeds, paint or a gun but can by beer, lotto and get an abortion. Gesh, am I more likely to pick up covid in a liquor store or at Porter Paint?

It's both.

Power corrupts, and the concentration of power attracts those who thirst for power.

From what I can tell it also seems to attract stupidity. Lots of stupid people who think they know best, who couldn't run a shoe shine stand.

[MickintheHam]

The censorship by google, youtube, and facebook is very disturbing. Youtube will allow no posts that go against WHO guidelines, even if it is by doctors who have researched the virus.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Initially it was about health but now its become political. The government has the best interests of the politicians at heart. Hopefully those who serve them have similar interests.

If Trump had locked them in their house when this all started they would have called him Hitler and would be screaming for their freedom to go to parks to perform their live action role play.

[KSRBEvans]

I agree that people should not try to silence those who disagree with the government and its decisions.

I'm glad we agree that everyone should get off CNN's back.

[dan_bgblue]

I'm glad we agree that everyone should get off CNN's back.

.

[CitizenBBN]

The censorship by google, youtube, and facebook is very disturbing. Youtube will allow no posts that go against WHO guidelines, even if it is by doctors who have researched the virus.

We're losing our rights right in front of our eyes and few seem to see it, and even fewer seem to care.

We're going to become a lot more like China than anyone imagines, very very quickly.

I imagine I'll be dead before it gets so bad I can't stand it, but it might.

I wish I had the power to post something and have it removed and had the money to pursue it. The only solution I see is either an act of Congress or SCOTUS to rule that the internet is in fact public property, and thus the tech giants that run it have to respect the constitutional rights of the people the same as government.

Barring that I think the fight is all but lost already. Massive corporations now own and run the equivalent of our `18th and 19th century roads and town halls. they control access not just for our ability to assemble and speak but our ability to sell goods.

They are the modern equivalent of the 19th century rail companies that had a stranglehold on agriculture in the midwest as the only way to get your produce to market was to use the only railroad in the area. Except these modern railroads control our very ability to communicate in the modern age.

How the vast majority of Americans don't see this and aren't alarmed is beyond me. many even agree with it and call for these companies to use their power to censor those who they don't like. Some call for government to prosecute people for "hate speech" and rule on what can be said.

With most of that call coming from the Left these days, and them being the traditional keepers of civil liberties, it leaves conservatives to stand up for liberty.

[dan_bgblue]

With most of that call coming from the Left these days, and them being the traditional keepers of civil liberties, it leaves conservatives to stand up for liberty.

I personally think we should vote to shut down the internet completely except for emails, and I actually might have to rethink that, but the first internet sports discussion I remember was an email list called Wildcat Chat. I could send out my thoughts by pulling up the member list, typing in my thoughts and hit send, or I could read other members thoughts from emails they had sent out.

Other than email, I am not sure that the internet does more good than it does harm.

[dan_bgblue]

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tuck...ore-like-china