Blue Dog Democrat... My Philosophy: Big, Benevolent Government

[gopbuster]

Blue Dog Democrat... My Philosophy: Big, Benevolent Government

By Jong Eun Lee on 4/12/07



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I support democracy and I support the treasured American principle for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." However, I also believe in the role of a benevolent big government to promote this principle in our society. I am aware that most Americans are individualistic and reluctant to trust the power of the government. While acknowledging a need for clear limits to governmental power, I strongly believe that an active government can be a great institution for promoting justice and compassion in our society.

Libertarians argue that the individual's pursuit of self-interest would naturally promote justice in our society. However, the human tendency for greed and competition has also encouraged people's willingness to trample the happiness of others for their own gains.

While the rugged individualism worshipped by many libertarians did promote general economic productivity, it also created an astounding number of economic losers victimized to a class status of poverty and social discrimination. To judge all the lower working class as people with insufficient personal motivation would be a terrible error. In a pure laissez-faire economy, the economic opportunity for prosperity is too often given only to people at the right area, at the right business and at the right moment of economic development. Those who are misfortunate enough to be caught in a downward economic cycle suffer the consequence regardless of any personal effort.

To achieve equal economic opportunity for everyone in society, personal liberty alone is not enough. The government has a moral responsibility to serve as a traffic light, monitoring the market economy and providing safety nets to protect the people from structural imprisonment in poverty. I understand libertarians' criticism of the welfare state, but I also question why it is not in the interest of the society as a whole to ensure every member of our society has access to good education, health care, retirement programs and a clean environment.
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