From an website: http://www.centerforsmallgovernment.com/ rkm -------------------------------------------------------- Original source URL: http://www.centerforsmallgovernment.com/SGN070718.htm Small Government News Wednesday, July 18, 2007 The official publication of the Center For Small Government Publisher: Carla Howell Editor: Michael Cloud In This Issue Distrust In Government An Idea Whose Time Has Come by Michael Cloud END the Income Tax Ballot Initiative for 2008 Ron Paul Is Disturbing the Peace 3 Best-Selling Authors & 2 Respected Psychologists Want You Distrust in Government An Idea Whose Time Has Come by Michael Cloud Americans distrust government. Increasing numbers of Americans believe that government is untrustworthy. That government cannot or will not do the right thing. That government is unreliable. Gallup Polling (June, 2007) found that 46% of us distrust the presidency. Not just our current president. The presidency. How many strongly trust the presidency? Only 25%. 39% of us distrust Congress. How many strongly trust Congress? Only 14%. Depending on the phrasing of questions asked by polling organizations, the level of distrust of government varies. But in almost all of the polls distrust of government is rising. A lot. Michael Hodges' ³The Grandfather Economic Report² summarizes years of polling: ³63% of citizens do not trust government, a massive change in 3 decades, indicating declining legitimacy.² Add Approval Ratings to the brew. President. Poll averaging shows that 31.3% of Americans approve of the job the President is doing. 64.8% disapprove. Congress. 32.4% approve of the job that Congress is doing. 61.2% disapprove. Large and increasing numbers distrust government and disapprove of the job it's doing. The Big Government Reformers' Response Faced with these facts, the Big Government Reformers try to slant and re-interpret the situation. ³Why have Americans lost faith in government? What happened to our confidence in our public institutions? What's eroded our trust in government?² they ask. Then, after rounding up the usual suspects, after admitting that ³some mistakes were made² without naming them, and without saying exactly who made them - the Reformers say, ³while there's plenty of blame to go around, we want to offer solutions, not just point fingers.² What questions do they ask in pursuit of solutions? ³How can we restore faith in government?² ³What can we do to rebuild trust in government?² ³What might restore the people's confidence in our public institutions?² ³How can we improve the American people's attitude toward government?² Reformers Are Asking the Wrong Questions ³If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers,² wrote Thomas Pynchon. The Big Government Reformers are asking the wrong questions and proposing the wrong remedies. The problem is not the mere absence of trust, the mere loss of faith, the mere waning of confidence. Dishonesty is not simply the absence of honesty. It is the polar opposite of honesty. Disapproval is not the mere loss of approval. It is a negative judgment. Distrust is not a blank slate. It is a guilty verdict against. Distrust is active rejection. Positive opposition. A moral antonym. A guilty verdict. The Reformers' Remedy Questions are even worse. What's the core concept of each remedy question? ³How can we make people more trusting of government?² ³How can we make people believe in government again?² ³How can we make people feel more confidence in government?² ³What do we need to do to instill greater faith in government?² Wrong questions. What are some of the right questions? Questions of Trust Is government trustworthy? Can government be relied upon to do what it promises? Can government do the job it says it will? If government can do the job, will it? If government cannot or does not deliver on its promises, why do Reformers want you to have more faith, confidence, or trust in government? Even granting the reformers' own Big Government viewpoint: Why are they trying to solve the * problem * of us trusting government instead of trying to make government dependable or trustworthy? The Big Government Reformers have forgotten a vital truth: Trust is earned. So is distrust. It takes years of honest and reliable behavior to earn a person's trust and only moments to lose it. Trust is hard to earn and hard to keep. It takes just days or weeks of dishonest and undependable behavior to earn a person's distrust. It's easy to earn and very hard to lose. Today's Big Government earned our distrust. And it's earning the distrust of millions more each month. Distrust In Government: a Great Opportunity Distrust in government is great news. Not just for champions of small government. It's great news for America. For every decent, productive American. As advocates of liberty and small government, we realize that Big Government cannot and should not be trusted. ³Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,² wrote Thomas Jefferson. Vigilance toward what? Government. He was imploring us to keep a suspicious and untrusting stance toward government. Thomas Jefferson was urging us to actively distrust government. More and more Americans are joining him. Americans who believe that government is untrustworthy are less likely to support or vote for politicians who propose creating or expanding government programs. Americans who distrust today's Big Government are ready and ripe for the movement for small government. Americans who distrust government are often receptive and responsive to the idea that making government small means there is much less for them to worry about. Less for them to be wary of. Less government for them to be taxed for. Less for them to be folded, spindled, and mutilated by. Distrust in government is a fertile field for small government. Distrust in government is a huge opportunity for you and I to recruit, educate, and activate new champions of small government. Distrust in government is an idea whose time has come. ### Polling on Trust in Government: http://www.pollingreport.com/institut.htm http://mwhodges.home.att.net/trust.htm: Approval Ratings the President http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/?poll_id=19 Approval Ratings Congress: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/?poll_id=18 END the Income Tax Ballot Initiative for 2008 In 2002, our Ballot Initiative to END the Income Tax in Massachusetts blindsided and shocked the political establishment. The polling showed that we would get 25% to 33% of the vote. On Election Day, we got 45% of the vote. 885,693 votes. Dozens of newspapers around the country, around the world reported our stunning results. Newspapers in California, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Virginia, and Florida. Australia, New Zealand, France, and more. These newspapers did not take us seriously before the vote. But when they saw our results when it was too late for their publicity to do us any good they sang our praises. The Massachusetts Constitution banned us from putting an END the Income Tax Initiative on the ballot in 2004 and 2006. They require a 6-year waiting period before allowing us to collect 100,000 raw signatures and putting it back on the ballot. We can put our END the Income Tax Initiative on the ballot for 2008. With your involvement, with your help, we might be able to repeal the Massachusetts Income Tax. With your involvement, we could be the first state to repeal an income tax. This time, the newspapers know we've got the right stuff. This time, you know we've got the right stuff. And we know you have the right stuff to launch this step toward making government small. Next issue, we'll give you a sneak preview. Ron Paul Is Disturbing the Peace Ron Paul's campaign for the Republican Presidential Nomination is disturbing the peace. He upset the Mainstream News Media and the Cable Pundits by raising real issues at the Republican Presidential Debates. Ron Paul and his small government views are in high demand on the Internet. At blogs, websites, on YouTube. He's also getting a ³bump² from left-leaning media sources such as ABC newsman George Stephanopoulos, MSNBC, Bill Maher, The Daily Show, and the Colbert Report. His web site features his small government response to the question, ³You have publicly stated that you are in favor of abolishing the income tax. What methods do you see as appropriate for revenue to run the federal government?² Ron Paul replied, ³I¹m not looking for a substitute. I want to get rid of the IRS. I want to get rid of the income tax. I want to reduce the size and scope of government to the point where we don¹t need the income taxŠSince we¹ve had the income tax government has grown by leaps and bounds and it has allowed the government it to get involved in things it shouldn¹t be involved (in): policing our personal habits, policing the economy, and policing the world. If you don¹t want the government doing those things, we don¹t need an income tax.² Do you know anyone who wants to do something to end the Iraqi War? Who calls himself or herself a fiscal conservative? An Internet expert? Ron Paul's candidacy presents a rare opportunity to show them a small government politician who's getting some serious airplay. Please give small government a boost and tune them into the Ron Paul campaign. 3 Best-Selling Authors & 2 Respected Psychologists Want You -- to Get Your Copy of Michael Cloud's Astonishing Book: "Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion" ³A book by the master of libertarian persuasion. This is modeled after the dozens of seminars and personal training sessions he's conducted all leading to rave reviews from people who have used his techniques with great success.² - Harry Browne, best-selling Author, How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World "I've read ŒSecrets of Libertarian Persuasion' from cover to cover, and I congratulate you on a fine and valuable book. I hope it spreads and sells -- widely among the people who are, often helplessly, attempting to spread the message of freedom." - Barbara Branden, best-selling Author, The Passion of Ayn Rand "Libertarian persuasion at its most eloquent and powerful. ŒSecrets' can help you become a superstar persuader for the cause of Liberty. This is the best book on overall persuasion not just Libertarian I've ever read. Own it and watch your communication abilities, and most likely your income, grow and grow.² - Bob Burg, best-selling Author, Winning WITHOUT Intimidation ³'Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion' is filled with one unique insight after another on how to think and talk about liberty. Michael's 'Weight Watcher's Test' for evaluating politicians in itself is worth more than the meager price of the book.² - Dr. Michael Edelstein, Psychologist, Author, Three Minute Therapy ³Too many libertarians do all the wrong things to promote freedom. Michael Cloud's book, 'Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion,' tells them all the right ways. It's based on common sense, good science, and good psychology. Every serious libertarian needs to read this invaluable book.² - Sharon Presley, Ph.D., Psychologist, Co-founder, Laissez Faire Books For FREE DETAILS about Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion Just click: http://www.theadvocates.org/secrets.html Subscribe to Small Government News Contact the Center for Small Government All material on this website is Copyright 2004 Carla Howell and Michael Cloud unless otherwise noted. -- -------------------------------------------------------- Posting archives: http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?lists=newslog Escaping the Matrix website: http://escapingthematrix.org/ cyberjournal website: http://cyberjournal.org Community Democracy Framework: http://cyberjournal.org/DemocracyFramework.html Moderator: •••@••.••• (comments welcome)
