Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
from The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
from The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Weren't they all killed though, in that poem?
Take care all.
I actually trust my government quite well. Sure, they don't keep many of their (more sensational) election promises, but they've done reasonably well in some regards. There's a lot that they're not doing right - health care funding, race relations, and so on... but they're sufficiently honest about what they're doing at any given time. The police and armed forces are well-managed; the intelligence agencies seem effective. The right secrets are kept, too - we're not told everything that's happening in the intelligence world, because that'd undermine the entire purpose of covert information-gathering. The government's integrity is well-demonstrated by its reponse to extreme views. 'Extreme' attitudes get the most media attention, since sensationalism boosts ratings (far more important than actual current events); therefore the media makes the most of them. However, even in the face of seemingly overwhelming public backlash on 'big issues', they don't back down - hence, we still have a military presence in the Middle East, we're still allowed to be treated with medicine sourced from biotechnology, and we still have close economic and intelligence ties with our traditional allies such as Australia and the US. The government often does what's apparently right for the country rather than caving in to the demands of a vocal minority, even though that acquiescence might score them a few 'points' here and there.
As for soldiers trusting their government... I fully understand that. It's a special position, since the armed forces are basically the physical 'weight' behind the government's intentions. The government decides it, the military makes it happen. That requires a full trust and respect for the decisions of the government; anything less means an unreliable military whose indecision could cost lives in a crisis situation. An individual soldier mightn't personally like certain decisions of the government, but he or she must still be prepared to do whatever is asked. It's a lot like lawyers and the law - the law isn't always fair and just in everyones' opinion, but a lawyer can't simply ignore it when a client is depending upon it.
Agreed how can "The People" be any part in the government if they lie to "The People"Originally posted by The Captain
"I expect the government to hide some things from the people. It's necessary. I expect them to lie from time to time."
To be frank, that statement makes me VERY sad. Why do you feel this way?
"Lying" isn't always the same as "not telling the truth". The government needs to be silent in some matters, or all hell would break loose. In every country, there are people who demand a complete disclosure of their government's intelligence agencies and troop movements. If the state was completely open and honest about these things, people would die. Spies would be useless, since everyone would know who and where they are; vital information from sensitive sources would be compromised and worthless. The military would be massacred on foreign soil because the enemy knows exactly where they are. The other year, a Green party member of parliament in my country demanded that the government disclose the details of where our SAS troops were deployed in Afghanistan; the government replied that if they were going to do that, they might as well paint bullseyes on the soldiers' backs.
Secrets, be they financial, social, or miltary, are an essential part of the government. Disclosing everything would cause panic at the least, catastophe at the worst. Imagine the headlines - "Government worried about risk of war over fresh-water supplies", "Spies monitoring visiting European financier", "State preparing for biological terrorism". All perhaps true at any given time, but telling everyone everything would be counter-productive. A good government is one that knows how much information the people have a right to know, and how much they need to be told. A balance. Open and fair, but not reckless.
Ufos though, come on
Not saying that exists but if it even did, come on
There seems to be two threads of thought, those who believe that the Government shouldn't tell the people everything for fear of chaos and those who think that everything should be open. In truth, I believe Freedom of Press here in America was supposed to close the gap and keep its citizens more informed, but lately, the press has become almost a gameshow, with "Who can get the headlines first?" and lost much of its desire just to keep us informed.
Also, the FCC being a bunch of stiffs doesn't help either.
Take care all.
We get such head-lines all the time, and there's never any panic here.Imagine the headlines - "Government worried about risk of war over fresh-water supplies", "Spies monitoring visiting European financier",
Anyway, I trust my goverment. We chose them, and we can replace them. They know that. That's all there is to it. If they fail in the eyes of the people, they're gone.
I'm am worried though, about the integrity of too many members of the current goverment. Bribes, organised crime... not very bright.
When fighting monsters, be wary not to become one yourself... when gazing into the abyss, bear in mind that the abyss also gazes into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
The rightful owner of this Ciddie can kiss my arse! :P
Indeed. If Sharon is indicted, who would be the new Prime Minister?
Take care all.
governments aren't supposed to be trusted
So, the world shouldn't have governments perhaps? I think we do indeed need them, but they need to be more upfront about issues. Certainly the current administration here in the USA....
Take care all.
Yes they were, all six hundred some odd of them. I disagree with the idea that we shouldn't question our government. Yes, I'm aware that the people elected them, but I'm also aware that power and the lust for it tend to corrupt. Of course I don't trust my government 100%. But, as Unne and others have said, they keep me happy most of the time. If I disagree with something they do, I'll say something about it. If they betray their duties, I'll do something about it. Other than that, all I can do is be watchful.Originally posted by The Captain
Weren't they all killed though, in that poem?
Take care all.
Signature by rubah. I think.
I won't trust our government. Even though there is an upcoming election, but they end up only promises, promises, promises, promises. You know what, those officials will do anything useful for our people months before election. What a crap...
I love my country but I hate the government.
Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it. ~ Mark Twain
Wind Shear in WikiEoFF
MILF
- In Philippines, it's a rebel group.
- In U.S. of A.,... err... do I have to tell you?
No, no, absolutely not. No. A government is the very last thing you should trust besides a criminal or psychopath. And I'm not even talking about Dubya here; he is more of a symptom of the problem rather than the cause of it. George Washington (I think) described a government as fire; it's necessary for everyday life but only in extremely small and controlled doses, and it tends to rage out of control and roll over everything in its path.
Did anyone ever hear the saying "optimum population is an iceberg?" It means that in order for things to run as smoothly as possible, a very small percentage (the tip of the iceberg that is above water) of the population needs to control everything and the rest of the world (the submerged portion) needs to be controlled but also be ignorant enough of their plight that they don't attempt to overthrow. It's common knowledge to the top 5% that the rest of us need to remain in the submerged portion of the iceberg in order for them to maintain control of government, industry, wealth, etc. Sometimes I wonder if today's economic/societal structure was designed specifically to keep the population in the shape of a 5%/95% iceberg. Imagine how threatening to the powers-that-be a generation of teens who can afford a place to live, an insured car and a decent education would be. Hell, we would be both independent and well-educated.
In short, it's inherent to the nature of authority to corrupt itself in order to maintain itself and spread its cancer further. That simply is the case over and over and over again since the recording of history and that's why I refuse to put blind faith in anyone who has significant power over me.
I do not trust the government at all, and why should I. If they were truely a representative of my interests then why do I not get any input in what they do. I know, I know you vote on the person who best seems to be going to push for your beliefs but it still boils down to a person getting paid and paid well, doing whatever they need to to keep their job (and yes I would do it in a minute) I will start trusting my government when they pay themselves 30 thoudsand a year and actively try to find out what everyone wants.
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