Why do Americans distrust government?

serter wrote:

I have heard that Americans distrust government. Why is this exactly?

I think conservative ideology has historically favored a small federal government. It’s just the opinion that state governments should have more control of their own jurisdictions and individuals should have more liberty to live their lives how they choose.

However, this idealism seems to have been lost on today’s American Republican Party. It’s becoming clear that Republicans in general and evangelical Christians in specific would be happy with an enormous federal government just as long as they are in control of it.

40,000 plus Americans are dead wrote:

jamin wrote:

Last 4 presidents:

"Read my lips: no new taxes" ~ George H. W. Bush

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman." ~ Bill Clinton

"Operaetion Iraqi Freedom will be a cakewalk, we'll be greeted as liberators, and we'll be out of there as fast as we were in the first Gulf War." ~ George W. Bush

"If you like your private health insurance, you can keep it, and you'll even see your premiums drop." ~ Barack Obama

Have there been any lies from the current President in the last three and half years?

"Take the guns first due process second" - Donald Trump. Not necessarily a lie but tyrannical

The government is corrupt is at every level and has been for a long time. Waco, ruby ridge, poisoning citizens during prohibition. List is endless. Not to mention all the tyrannical laws that take away our natural rights as humans

It was not just Bush you moron, it was Cheney, Rumsfeld and many others in the U.S. government.

The twin towers had bombs inside that were detonated. The collapsed because it was a controlled demolition.

If you think that 20 students who took beginner flight lessons could fly two giant airplanes (after hijacking them) with that degree of accuracy into the WTC towers . . . you are either

i) extremely naive

ii) have a Karyotype that shows a trisomy

iii) a pot bellied American

I will guess you are a combination of all three.

#dumb-ass

Not dead yet wrote:

I live in Manhattan. Many governments permit or even support the deliberate slaughter of innocent human beings, whereas I believe that one of the few duties of government is to defend innocent human beings from harm, not every harm, but certainly from deliberate homicide such as from direct abortion.

+1

Because the legal system of the American government does not match the word.

Trump tax cuts have increased tax revenue up until the virus. " During the October through March period (the first six months of fiscal 2020), the U.S. Treasury collected a record total of $1,603,516,000,000 in taxes, according to the Treasury statement.

Prior to this fiscal year, the most tax dollars the Treasury ever collected in the first six months of the fiscal year was in fiscal 2016. That year, the Treasury brought in $1,600,095,780,000 in total tax revenues (in constant March 2020 dollars) in October-through-March period."

Because there is a double standard. Clinton clearly broke federal laws when she passed classified material on a Gmail account then lied, used bleach bit to erase subpoenaed emails, then destroyed her blackberry. Comey said, "there was no criminal intent". DOJ granted immunity to key players like Cheryl Mills and the guys that set up Clinton's private server. Comey, Clapper, Brennan, McCabe, Mills also all lied under oath. Loretta Lynch met Bill Clinton on the tarmac in Phoenix while Hillary was under criminal investigation to talk about "grandchildren". Obama administration illegally spied on Trump and pulled all sorts of shenanigans that eventually failed including entrapment of Flynn, Popodopolus, Carter Page, used a fake Russian dossier to open an investigation, failed to verify the evidence in FISA warrant applications, changed whistleblower criteria from 1st hand to 2nd hand knowledge then tried to impeach Trump with no evidence, conducted a phony Mueller investigation that conveniently omitted exculpatory evidence, protected Biden from the corruption in Ukraine and China. America is tired of it all.

The government's display of incompetence, patronage, deceit, lack of planning, graft . . . Distrust and contempt is a natural response.

Don't forget the current president!

"One day it’s like a miracle – it will disappear"

"Anybody that needs a test gets a test. We – they’re there. They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful"

"I’ve always known this is a real – this is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. I’ve always viewed it as very serious"

Because the American gov. kills 68,000 Americans die annually from lack of Health insurance.

Worse than the season flu and car crashes COMBINED is the.... American Government, who avoid universal healthcare better than COVID 19. 68,000..... That's more than the entire vietnam war every single year for decades.

www.newsweek.com/medicare-all-would-save-450-billion-annually-while-preventing-68000-deaths-new-study-shows-1487862

40,000 plus Americans are dead wrote:

wake up people wrote:

It’s in our blood. Our ancestors rebelled against the British government in 1776. Or our ancestors left the original nations to get away from oppressive governments. Typically for economic (capitalism), security (Arms), and religious freedoms.

It’s fascinating that the oppressive Democrats are trying to take away those very freedoms rate now.

Why didn’t they stay, resist and overthrow the oppressive regimes?

That would have been rebelling, running away to another country wasn’t resisting oppression.

I suck at history but this post is beyond stupid. The first settlers in America were still european citizens who were initially attracted by the adventure and economic opportunities. Youre right that they initially were running away to get a reprieve from oppression. But then, when England started applying pressure and threatening violence, then they did not run. They resisted and fought the oppressors. And won.

"These colors dont run"

In a Capitalist county the rich control everything, and the politicians are elected they always act in the best interest of the rich. Sometimes this works out for the whole country, sometimes it doesn't.

Newsweek? Give me a break....It's a left wing rag.

Co-Flounder wrote:

Two words.

Power corrupts.

I agree but there's more to it.

What kind of person thinks to himself "I should be in charge of others" and then seeks a career to achieve that.

Aldous Huxley wrote:

40 years of very efficient Koch Brothers propaganda together with Rupert Murdoch's Fox News started in 1996.

This post reminds me of Milton Friedman's dilemma:

Why in the world do some people attribute nothing but malice and evil intentions to corporate leaders yet nothing but good will and benevolence to government leaders? Why do they learn NOTHING from history?

pass the pretzels wrote:

Co-Flounder wrote:

Two words.

Power corrupts.

I agree but there's more to it.

What kind of person thinks to himself "I should be in charge of others" and then seeks a career to achieve that.

That's a great point. In one of Arthur C. Clarke's books, can't recall which one, he has a future where the world has one government and there's a World President. There's a law that disqualifies any candidate who gives any indication of actually wanting the job. Presidents are supposed to be dragged kicking and screaming into the office.

Very insightful. Please post where we might delve into this idea even further?

This thread started by a troll for sure.

The basic structure of the federal government and the Constitution are pretty solid.

There have been bad actors throughout U.S. history screwing things up.

Here's a good example of such chicanery:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKUltra

The program called MK Ultra