(FORUM) What does the government owe you?


The following is commentary intended for discussion. Add your comments.

What do you think the federal government owes you? (Short list, please!)

Has your view changed over the years?

I remember thinking nothing of politics in college, and knowing even less. It was during the Reagan era and I remember people I knew talking about how terrible he was as a president.

All I know is that I had nothing, I probably qualified for welfare had I looked into it, but it never occurred to me that I was owed much of anything in tangible terms. And I thought my life was pretty good. Every day was a new opportunity for me to figure out a way to make the best of my life, to be self-sufficient, to plan for a future I could afford and enjoy.

This is not to say there aren’t plenty of legitimate viewpoints, of course, in line with “The federal government owes me…”

I would say today I feel as if the federal government owes me (but does not deliver on) the guarantee of collecting as little tax dollars as possible, and to use what it collects wisely and efficiently without corruption, waste or fraud.

I feel like the federal government owes me to monitor national security on my behalf and take reasonable, efficient steps to protect the nation.

I feel like the federal government owes me to stay out of my way when I try to accomplish things on my own, meaning not install bureaucratic roadblocks that make life harder rather than better. Also it should not interfere in the free flow of legal information by taking steps that lend themselves toward censorship or control.

And I feel like the federal government owes me to treat itself and its officials the same way ordinary Americans get treated, without favor. In other words, if an FBI attorney breaks a certain law, his penalty should be as harsh as what you or I would get if we committed the crime.

I could probably think of more. What do you think?


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52 thoughts on “(FORUM) What does the government owe you?”

  1. Provide for the common defense of America from invasion by any enemy forces that want to invade and destroy America. That’s it, that’s all Americans require of our Federal Government.

    1. Government should protect its citizens s from invasion whether military or those not obeying our immigration laws and coming in illegally

  2. The federal government does not owe me anything. I believe they are responsible for providing defense to international threats with the tax dollars I provide. My thoughts are the purpose of government is to provide protection from threats that may come and to establish order in this way.

  3. I think you hit it right on the nail !
    America first! Americans that can will and have donated millions to causes in America and worldwide!

  4. The government owes me a safe place to exist in. It owes me enforcement of the US constitution. It owes me freedom of my personal choices.

  5. I am a fan and follower of you. I can count on you to tell us the facts and the truth. I was just censored off of Twitter because our Canadian government is not exposing on their consent forms that this so called vaccine is experimental, that by giving consent they know it’s an experiment. Nowhere do they give the deaths caused by this vaccine note the adverse reaction. So many people don’t know stuff like this so I posted the truth based on the Nuremberg Trials that in order to give informed consent, especially if it’s experimental that information MUST be disclosed. So I put this truth on Twitter and they locked me out for 7 days… what’s going on with these big tech companies is criminal. They leave up government lies or omissions completely but they censor the truth tellers…I strong you urge to look up a lawyer by the name Reiner Fuellmich international Nuremberg 2 Lawyer. If your interested is his video’s please email me and I will send them to you. The lies should come down but instead Twitter is choosing to only support our (Canadian) Governments narrative. This is absolutely disgusting. It has to stop. Will you help us to stop it. .

  6. 100% feel the government owes not just me, but ALL American citizens, the right to privacy, and to not have our rights infringed upon. Especially in the tune of “it’s for your safety”.
    The government owes us answers. Answers to the corruption, fraud, and special interests they use OUR hard earned tax dollars on.
    Those in government positions ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT get special favors, privileges, rights. They need to be held accountable for their actions!
    This is a free country. The last there is. We are NOT a socialist country.

  7. I feel that the Federal Gov’t should not have so many laws on the books that it , potentially, makes every citizen implicated in misdemeanours or crimes unconsciously or unknowingly. Old, nonsensical, irrelevant laws ought to be repealed instead of lingering.

    1. Beeyess Detector

      And spend our tax dollars wisely.

      Speaking of which, if you got a stimulus payment and don’t need it, redirect it where it actually is needed.

  8. Madison said it best:

    “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions” (James Madison, Federalist No. 51, 1788).

  9. Our federal government owes life, with the protection foreign and domestic violence, security; also no favorable groups of people, that is like BLM, etc.

  10. The government is supposed to collect taxes and protect us. Anything outside of those categories was never sanctioned by our founding fathers.

  11. Sharyl I can’t express any better what I think the government owes me than you just did. You summed it up perfectly!

  12. Honesty, They need to be honest to the citizens and govern for us and not themselves and special interest. Live by the same laws that they pass for us.

  13. Uphold our constitution and the citizen’s bill of rights. Beyond those powers specifically listed in the constitution nothing else. They poison almost everything they touch.

  14. Walter Yarbrough

    On a personal note: Thank you Ms. Attkisson for your honesty, and your work to give us the information we need to be the best we can be.

    In response to your question I would say every American is simply owed the truth from everyone in government. It with great sadness I say that instead we are often fed, daily, disingenuous lies by those who now believe themselves no longer the servants of the people, but rather their masters.

  15. Honestly, the government owes me nothing. I should be able to attain whatever I need in life without the aid of a government.

    Thank you, Sharyl, for your honesty and courage. It is very refreshing to see those in a journalist during these modern times when most journalists simply rush to share their opinions with the world and call them facts.

  16. What the government owes me is that it unequivocally follows the Constitution of the United States.
    No more, no less!
    Those politicians who swear on the Bible to protect the Constitution and next minute tear it to pieces should be forced to resign from their office.

  17. The federal government needs to:

    …………, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity……………

    1. 1. Establish Justice
      a.
      b
      c.
      2. Insure Domestic tranquility
      a.
      b.
      c.
      3. Provide for the common defense
      a.
      b.
      c.
      4. Promote the general Welfare
      a.
      b.
      c,
      5. Secure the Blessings of Liberty
      a.
      b
      c,

      NO WHERE DOES IT SAY WE SHOULD UNIONIZE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      .

  18. The government must rescind JFK/s EO granting government employees the right to unionize.

    Government employees must be neutral, non-partisan civil servants; not as we have learned today – they have become our uncivil masters.

    Prohibit all political activity – public and private. Yes, you give up some rights for the privilege and honor of being a civil servant. There can be no other way. And yes, pay them well but hold out rewards until proof they served their public tenure with honesty, neutrality and integrity.

  19. The Gooferment should be the “nightwatchman”. A minimal influence on the lives of “We, The People” as an unbiased referee when appropriate. Specifically, it must stop stealing the People’s money via debt, deficit, inflation, and endless war. IMHO!

  20. The government owes me Life, Liberty and the unencumbered pursuit of happiness in whatever form that comes in (unless illegal). It also owes every American a national defense, rightfully though, defense should come from the states/people. Aside from national trade, the government owes me nothing else- and I owe it nothing else.
    I have always believed “Less government is better government”. I still do more than ever!

  21. What does the government owe me? They owe it to me to get the hell out of my way so I can achieve the American dream, protect my family, and provide for my community. The government owes me the trust and confidence that I will do the right thing for my God, my country/community, and my family.

  22. “provide for the common defense”; law enforcement and equal protection under the law (to secure my natural rights); in light of the massive amounts of money it takes, I would add hard infrastructure, including clean water and power access; and to GET OUT OF MY WAY and leave me the hell alone.

  23. So what does the government owe me, or any of us ??? — Simply this — as their oaths clearly state “protect and defend the constitution ” So they owe all of us to just abide by the constitution — no more and no less….. and when they follow it as intended, then they will automatically limit the federal power and increase individual rights and freedom is protected

    The Constitution was written/established to give us a national alliance so that we could be united in a “common cause.” Together with the historical example of the disfunction of the European States always at war, etc, and the more recent benefit of banding together for the revolution — it was clear that a national government be instituted. Yet the history of monarchies and centralized power also terrified the Founding Fathers who were rightly worried about overtaking states power and eventually the individual’s natural rights that were outlined in many states bill of rights. . ‘

    So we forget that while the Constitution was created to ‘establish’ a national government, it was also written to “protect” the states and the people FROM a federal government. The Bill of Rights was almost not included as the first 10 amendments – but those that were against the Constitution early on insisted it be included (Patrick Henry) — our rights — were established to protect the citizens “FROM” the government. So the Constitution purposely limits and reigns in the national government and gives much more autonomy to the states — (btw when we passed the 17th amendment the state governments lost their “check” on the federal growth and power)

    The government cannot give you anything that it doesn’t take from someone else. So the government has to take by force that which it gives to others. positive rights cannot be rights because in order to guarantee positive rights you have to guarantee the means to provide that right….. and that you just cannot agree to provide if you have no guaranteed means to do so

    In the end we get the government we deserve and ultimately this is all the fault of our citizens. As citizens of the greatest human experiment in freedom, you have an obligation to educate yourself on your civic situation – your constitution, your government, your state government, and local government. Our past prosperity has enabled us to become uneducated, lazy, selfish, greedy and delusional. And now we are not equipped to govern ourselves. Politicians lie to us because that is what we want to hear — they lie and we know they lie or they cannot ( and should not) provide what they say they will provide and we vote anyway because it feels good. we vote for what makes us feel good and not what is logical or real. We elect all these politicians, do you really believe that if you got rid of all the politicians today — that their replacements would be any better ?? C’mon man ! be real — they say and do the things that the majority want them to do.

    Can you imagine the politician who runs and says “vote for me and i will do nothing for you but follow the constitution and limit the federal government ” ?? no one would vote for him. Rand Paul has no traction. Can you imagine at a town hall someone getting up and asking the following “i dropped out of school, had a drug problem, have 5 babies — what are you going to do for me ” and the candidate responding ” i don’t want to be your father i want to be your president ” ?? no votes for that guy. do you realize that we cannot get a majority of politicians to enforce the laws on the books — or change the laws ?? either one is good for me, but enforce the laws or change/ eliminate the laws — but we have governmental bodies, law enforcement, judges, presidents, whatever all refusing to enforce the laws. and we allow that to continue.

    No sir, it is not the politicians — it is us the people who are losing our Republic — thank you Dr. Franklin for 200 years — we will destroy it now

  24. My Government owes me just what is spelled out in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They owe me Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness- far too many people think the Government owes them happiness, that’s not correct. You’re allowed to pursue your own happiness as long as it doesn’t infringe on you fellow citizens rights.
    Government owes us all secure borders, legal immigration, the right to vote in person with ID and all the necessary election protections to ensure valid voting.
    Government owes us a proper judicial system where all are innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around.

    The problem in our government is the sense of POWER people get when they’re elected. Carpetbagger Hillary Clinton is a perfect example of this, moving to NY to get elected into an empty seat left by Moynihan. William Henry Harrison was our 9th President, served only 1 month then died of pneumonia, stated correctly- “Power is insinuating. Few men are satisfied with less power than they are able to procure. No lover is ever satified with the first smile of his mistress.” Perfect for DC today!

    People should not fear their government, government should fear We The People!

  25. National Security, governance over the states in interstate matters and to ensure they comply with the Constitution, enforcement of the constitution,

  26. Patrick Sheridan

    Secure borders, freedom of speech, right to bear arms, wisely spent tax dollars, social security because we paid for it. Social security and medicare money should not have been spent in Iraq.

  27. I believe the government is responsible for national defense and providing interstate infra structure, beyond that it owes me very little and should stop asking me to pay for much else. Leave the rest to states and local govts as well as private enterprise.

  28. Secure borders.
    Strong military.
    Protection of unalienable rights.
    Life, liberty and property.
    Good roads.
    Limited, representative government.

  29. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Protect me from all enemy’s foreign and domestic. Nuff said.

  30. Give us back the Constitution and freedoms therein. Eliminate 2/3 of the government and its regulations and laws. Eliminate all the surveillance and wokeness. Get back to what the Framers had in mind for us.

  31. Depends on what they stole from your sovereign being/estate. Sue them by putting a lien on their commercial bond. They can also be sued in their private capacity.

  32. I feel we are owed what our forefathers wrote and agreed to:
    Provide for the common defense
    Promote the general welfare (promote, NOT provide!)

  33. Government owes me the defense of America * a smaller pot of welfare assistance and uphold those monopoly laws.

  34. The government owes me a completely retailed judicial system., protection against enemies foreign and domestic, the education to know what that means, freedom of speech, whatever is in the bill of rights and the constitution, healthcare for a’ll or serious regulations on what is there, and art and music classes for everyone.

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