Politics What in your view should be the goal of government?

[Seeds]

Making the country better as a whole by focusing on Health, education, at least a basic level of Human decency and security.

so nothing about making humans actually happy?

what does human decency even mean? Its a bit too vague isnt it.

 

[Cap]

so nothing about making humans actually happy?

what does human decency even mean? Its a bit too vague isnt it.

Happiness is personal, what makes you happy probably won't make me happy.

I don't like it too specific, it gives too much power to words.

But decency isn't the right word to be fair.

What ever the word for proving people with at worst the basic level of what offered in a modern society. Transport, shelter , internet/entertainment ,food/water and the ability to get a job. (I've already covered education)

 

[O Grobbecker]

National Security.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Needs more talk on the world. Our world constrains what our government can do. The world's financial system limits what we can do. Our defence and security policies rely on our allies. No? Check whats just happened with the subs. What we see is the tip of the iceberg. A lot of crap went on beneath the water we never see. The Albanese gov has done hardly anything different regards all that.
America and Europe jacking up their interest rates mean we have to too. Or our dollar will go through the floor. Our economy is beholden to others.
Plenty of other things. A good government has to navigate us through the international landmines, some of which are going to explode on us whether we like it or not.

 

[O Grobbecker]

Needs more talk on the world. Our world constrains what our government can do. The world's financial system limits what we can do. Our defence and security policies rely on our allies. No? Check whats just happened with the subs. What we see is the tip of the iceberg. A lot of crap went on beneath the water we never see. The Albanese gov has done hardly anything different regards all that.
America and Europe jacking up their interest rates mean we have to too. Or our dollar will go through the floor. Our economy is beholden to others.
Plenty of other things. A good government has to navigate us through the international landmines, some of which are going to explode on us whether we like it or not.

Do we even have a good government ?

 

[Rotayjay]

1. To provide safety and security in the form of a national defence force, police, fire brigades and ambulance services.

2. To enforce good laws made by the legislature (all the way from murder being illegal to false advertising being illegal)

3. To improve the lives of the people through essential services like health care, education, utilities and social security.

As a left-winger, I'm very big on public goods like education and utilities, especially natural monopolies, being in public hands.

 

[Seeds]

Needs more talk on the world. Our world constrains what our government can do. The world's financial system limits what we can do. Our defence and security policies rely on our allies. No? Check whats just happened with the subs. What we see is the tip of the iceberg. A lot of crap went on beneath the water we never see. The Albanese gov has done hardly anything different regards all that.
America and Europe jacking up their interest rates mean we have to too. Or our dollar will go through the floor. Our economy is beholden to others.
Plenty of other things. A good government has to navigate us through the international landmines, some of which are going to explode on us whether we like it or not.

The worlds financial system only limits us if we want to trade and travel. I very much advocate for this by the way but there is another way.

 

[Seeds]

1. To provide safety and security in the form of a national defence force, police, fire brigades and ambulance services.

2. To enforce good laws made by the legislature (all the way from murder being illegal to false advertising being illegal)

3. To improve the lives of the people through essential services like health care, education, utilities and social security.

As a left-winger, I'm very big on public goods like education and utilities, especially natural monopolies, being in public hands.

These are all good. But they are more means to an end then an actual end. Why should we do these things? What is the underlying reason why these should be the goal of government?

 

[ChampRevesby]

At its core I always go with Aristotle. Philosopher kings that punish vice and promote virtue for the common good. This promotes communal living and the good life.

 

[Rotayjay]

These are all good. But they are more means to an end then an actual end. Why should we do these things? What is the underlying reason why these should be the goal of government?

1. War should be deterred, and nobody wants to have their house burn down without a fire brigade, and I don't think emergency services or defence should be for profit.

2. It's not practical for the private sector to police laws like murder.

3. I believe more more free government services are better than less, as I believe more equality is better (though I'm not a socialist and think we still need a market economy). I just don't think there should be markets for basic things like electricity.