I know many people, myself in including, who had very very meager beginnings, but we took advantage of the public eduction available to us(one of the worst in the state I live in)and I didn’t even do well in school because I had never been diagnosed with dyslexia until I was an adult.

But I never gave up, I kept trying, I failed, I tried and failed and today, I am certainly not rich, but I lead a very comfortable middle class life and will encourage my children to do the same or better.

The Constitution preamble…it is a guarantee to PROTECT (NOT PROVIDE) life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And it says all men are CREATED equal. But who is responsible to MAINTAIN that status? The individual or the government? When the Constitution was written, women did not have a right to vote and blacks were not free - the government eventually had to implement changes in those areas based upon the collective efforts of members within the society.

I agree with Crosenblum, the legal status of corporations and the exemptions should be withdrawn.

Put the ownness of success back onto the owners.

People need to live on the pride of their own achievements and that will only happen when government withdraws from intervening and acting as a crutch for those which rely on such support.

By no means am I saying it would be easy. Our infrastructure has slowly been imploding since the late 70’s and 80’s, I just hope it is a cycle what can reverse itself but I don’t think it will.

A great depression is very possible, if it happens each individual is going to have to get through on their own with tenacity and survival skills.

I would suggest you hone your fire making skills without your bic or matches.

Give a man a fish you feed him for the day, teach a man to fish and he will provide for himself for a lifetime.

No it isn’t…As long as they are not breaking the law, it’s not unethical to make lots of money…Not that i am myself…nor have i ever been other than poor to working stiff…But doesn’t make rich people evil and poor good or either around…

The problem is corporations legal status, which is about creating exemptions for business owners…I think the whole corporation legal status should be withdrawn, and go back to sole proprietors or partnerships…

Then people would have real liability.

How do you suggest we fix the greed of the big corporations with government interference? The owners and CEO and other big executives are all doing fine. Maybe they won’t make as much money as they have in previous years, but they aren’t the ones worrying about foreclosure and paying for health care. The ones that suffer are the employees who work for the big corporations. Should the government allow the companies to abuse those people?

Since you are clearly motivate by the Constitution, doesn’t it guarantee life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, all men created equal, etc? However, many in this country do not start off on a level playing field where they have a path to these inalienable rights. When citizens are denied health care, equal education, equal starting points in life, sometimes even food and shelter, who is doing anything to give them their rights? You claim that it is the governments job to protect human rights. Well, the fannie, freddie, and welfare are an attempt to do just that.

And yes the federal government is far too big…

It’s like the ancient mandarin that took over as the power in china, because they handled all the paperwork, and it grew and grew and grew, until they became the power…not the emperor…

And that’s the problem with beauracries..they want to grow..not to be managed to do what they’re good at…

That’s why there needs to be massive limits as to waht the federal government is supposed to od. and different limits for waht state is supposed to do…

The states power and responsiblity should be far greater than the nations…Because it will be far more in touch with what needs to be done for their local area…

Have you read the US consitution? I suggest you start there if you haven’t. You will see that the Moral Code of our country written by our founding fathers, and even all the amendments refer to the protection of the rights to our society.

It is not a doctrine which gives government the control is it wishes exercise upon corporations, companies and individuals.

As to rhetoric - I suggest you look at the failing Social Security program created by government to start with if you wish for an example of government’s intervention and it’s failure.

Why won’t the bailouts work - because the greed of the corporations has not been addressed, the failings of people themselves to live within their means vs. keeping up with the Jones, which government helped with when they came up with Fannie Mae and Fannie Mac, Welfare, and other programs which don’t allow people to try and fail until the ulitmately succeed.

The problem with your argument is that you rely on the clique that government is too big. A clique is nothing more than a statement that is often repeated, not an argument.