[quote=sdduuuude][quote=zk]This is EXACTLY the kind of thing that we need government for. What we needed was early and fast action on tests. We could have had far fewer infections and probably avoided some of the economic damage, also, because less social distancing is necessary if you know who has the virus.[/quote]
This is exactly what we need government for – and they failed (according to you). Again. So, we should or should not continue looking to them to save us?[/quote]
The answer to that should be exceedingly obvious.
As I said, there is no other entity or group that is capable of and willing to take the necessary actions. So the solution is to improve our government. The first step would be to vote out incompetents and vote in people who are reasonable, intelligent, thoughtful, cool-headed, etc. and who care about the country more than they care about themselves or their party.
[quote=sdduuuude]And another thing – even if I do acquiesce and say “yes we need government for these kinds of crises” that really doesn’t explain why they need to spend so much when there isn’t a crisis.[/quote]
That’s a totally separate issue. But, while we’re on it, it’s difficult to be efficient when you’re the size of a government of a large country. But efficiency should always, of course, be a (but not the) priority.
[quote=sdduuuude]
Note that when the economy took a hit congress gave money back to the people to stimulate the economy which, for me, begs the question – how good would the economy be if they hadn’t taken it in the first place?[/quote]
Well, now you’re back to the question of “do we need government?” Because government is not free, and so if you’re going to have government, government is going to have to take some money in the form of taxes. So if you NEED government, then the question of “how good would the economy be if they didn’t tax us in the first place” is moot.
The question of “how much should they take,” of course, is a reasonable question and a debate which will/should always be had as long as there’s a government.
If, by, “how good would the economy be if they hadn’t taken it in the first place?” you mean, “just that money that they’re giving back” and not “taxation in general,” well, that brings up another important government function. Saving up for a rainy day (or the arguably worse, and much-more-often used “borrow and pay back later for a rainy day”), such as a recession or a pandemic or a war. Who else is going to do that for a whole country?
