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Originally Posted by MaggieL
... But clearly you've been everywhere and seen everything.
Or your relatives have.
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I was talking about the examples of China and Switzerland. Period. Your sarcasm is unwarranted.
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Originally Posted by MaggieL
You think it's possible to require the government to do something? I just think it's foolish to expect "the government" to take care of you...especially in view of their track record in other endeavors.
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Well you see, it's kinda like this. We have these old pieces of paper cluttering up our history that say a few things about the purpose of government being to defend and protect the citizens. That's why we pay taxes and allow ourselves to be conscripted into the military should the need arise one of these days. Whether they, nowdays, are actually DOING that is a different issue for discussion. I am not saying anything whatever about the government "owing" me (or anybody) anything else. Not food or housing or education or toilet paper, nothing except the very reasonable expectation that they plan to prevent another power from dropping bombs on my head or in other ways terminating me while I am just going about my business. If we peasants are all toast, the so-called governors will have nobody to foot the bill either, so that is also their incentive to keep us safe, one would think. The deal is, we give them money and they take care of "all that", that's a contract that citizens have with their governments, and otherwise we would have to go back to fuedalism in order to secure our own protection. So please don't try to turn it into another discussion about entitlement mentality. Civil defense or the lack of it is not part of the welfare programs the last time I heard.