Classic Stossel: Battle for the Future

The news is ugly. Big government keeps growing.
The Federal government alone, now spends $19,434 per American. When I did this video 12 years ago, it was ONLY $10,000.
Back then two visions were at war for the future of America: On the left, the progressives, on the right, the conservatives. They clashed about the healthcare bill, Wall Street reform, and the stimulus packages. But the fight really boiled down to one key question: Do we need MORE or LESS government?
A Classic Stossel from 2010.

[@jefferydebbink282]

Wow, only $13 trillion as of 2009? That’s chump change compared to the $31 trillion in debt we have now!!

[@grondhero]

My dyslexia thought you had $13 trillion twice and I was about to point out that was incorrect. Yeah, *_thirty-one_** trillion* is very scary and extremely irresponsible.

[@yapandasoftware]

It was only $800B when I was a kid and they said we'd never pay that off.

[@time_for_toast4922]

You can thank Obama, Trump, and Biden for that.

[@leehenry5764]

​@@time_for_toast4922Mainly Biden

[@dansweda712]

Shocking, isn't it, we could only wish it was still 13T

[@FuzzyWCTX]

Limited government. That's what the founders wanted.

[@KopperNeoman]

And that's why when their descendants faced tyrants (as opposed to British patriots) they ended up dead. Jefferson's grandson is forgotten by history.

[@internetexplorer6097]

So did the south before the “civil” war

[@peterharrell7305]

Yeah, how'd that work out?

[@dreisiglps2451]

​@@peterharrell7305 Anarchy is better!

[@mastercabbage]

Well they ain’t around anymore. Now it’s up to Jamal and Sergio and they are not nearly as bright.

[@azuth11]

I am losing hope that the uncontrolled growth of the U.S. government can be halted with anything short of a total collapse.

[@yapandasoftware]

Okay.. be quiet and eat your grub worms.

[@MadnessMotorcycle]

You still have hope?

[@icestationzebraassociates2460]

That's the plan

[@f__kyoudegenerates]

It can't. The American experiment was ended by abe lincoln

[@kingofthorns203]

Google the public pension time bomb. That’s always an upbeat subject.

[@frankromero4048]

A message to the Government : " Stop Protecting Me Already, Your Friggin Killing Me "

[@dionrau5580]

Don't do me too many flavors especially your self.

[@cabinnorthwi4622]

Chris Farley crumbling his biscuit. I killed my sale!!!

[@soniajulie6465]

for real! when did MY PERSONAL SAFETY become YOUR REPSONSIBILITY ???

[@johnpruett5258]

They know, they want you dead.

[@MasterSwo-MK]

A message FROM the Government: "That's the idea kid!"

[@vanhawk8180]

"the government is us" is probably one of the most delusional things one could probably ever say.

[@nickpolizzi5897]

That Mark Hill is very smart. Just ask him!

[@smking100]

What he meant to say is, "The government is some of us! And we'll take what we want from the rest of you."

[@brianm.johnson4438]

Mark of a totalitarian

[@paulholmes1303]

@@nickpolizzi5897 I forgot about Marc Lamont Hill, but I could have been okay without being reminded. His successor, Richard Fowler is another smooth talking Progressive Socialist Taker that I could do without. I remember when he argued, six months after New York defunded the police, that "Black People didn't trust the police". What went unsaid was the full statement of fact. Black People didn't trust the police WOULD SHOW UP IN TIME TO HELP THEM!

[@dustinabc]

If "we are the gov't" then we wouldn't have to ask ourselves for permission to drive, or start a business, or what plants we can grow, or... (We don't need to ask the gov't to do these things, but they tell us we need to, because like people in all organized crime, they are immoral liars. Our natural rights precede and supercede anything they say)

[@fockewulf190d]

$13 trillion national debt. It's like those were the good 'ol days.

[@dionrau5580]

Go back to the fifty's, sixty's and seventies to find some good old days.

[@leehenry5764]

I wonder how much of that debt is due to the government giving away free money to nations all around the world

[@jasonmorgan27]

Take at look at 1971 when it was 1 trillion, guess what happened that year? Nixon took us off the gold standard. THAT was 100% and is the problem today. We are done

[@John-jl9de]

It's 30 Trillion

[@fockewulf190d]

@@John-jl9de This video is a replay from back in the Obama Administration.

[@AndyFromm]

Small government and NO hand outs!

[@jasonbfhfj8132]

So we would stop building car centric suburbs then? Most suburbs in US cities are government subsidized because the massive amount of infrastructure built to support the residential neighborhoods but not enough tax revenue to pay for it. People hate taxes but LOVE their big plot of land and single family home. It’s a massive drain on Cities and socialism in disguise. Don’t believe me? Lol look it up or i can suggest a view videos. It’s straight facts that our cities survive on debt. Literally a ponzi scheme. Are you willing to give your home up or pay more in taxes so cities aren’t going bankrupt? Most likely not. So this is why things will never change. Everyone says “STOP WASTEFUL GOVERNMENT SPENDING” until it inconveniences them.

[@dustinabc]

Also- gov't only by consent!

[@Alan0000able]

Oh yes and how is this post Raegan logic working for you? Paying for insulting triple the price, than people in Canada or Australia, because your government does not regulate prices, yet pumps tons of money to big companies?

[@dubjubs]

​@Alan0000able You realize the reason we pay the high prices is also because we in the US are required to treat people regardless of condition right? There's a reason people come to the US to get cancer treatment over Canada because they don't have to wait 6 months for treatment (prices still too high I agree but I digress)

[@Alan0000able]

​@@dubjubs According to Fraser Institute, a Canadian public policy only around 22k Canadias are taking receive none essential medical help outside of the Canada. Reasons can be for example faster time or cheaper operation. Benefits people who can pay but still is better than going bankrupt like in US. What your sentence about treatment supposed to mean exactly? That people in other countries are not getting treatment because of certain conditions? And now, US is paying so much, because it does not have universal healthcare, so companies can charge absurd prices.

[@unclejim1528]

"I'm ok with 20%, I'm ok with 30%" "It's already 40%" "I'm ok with 40%, I'm ok with more". Takers always ok with taking more.

[@Ms.MD7]

That black guy gave me a headache.

[@jovetj]

And he doesn't give two sharts about waste and pork!!

[@mathematicalgeek8657]

​@@Ms.MD7I am a black guy and I am ashamed that he is one of us.

[@jeffpadilla9891]

The new 51st state Ukraine has gotten more than any of our own territories.

[@mastercabbage]

Even more than Israel which is shocking.

[@Paladin1873]

At least they're putting it to good use killing Putin patsies.

[@alphagt62]

When I was a kid, I saw video of the war in Vietnam every single night on tv. Where are the videos from Ukraine?

[@brookingsbeachcomber]

it illegit joe money laundering machine

[@Reub3]

and our former provinces: Afghanistan & Iraq .

[@VoodooRivers]

Crazy to think this video was made about $20 trillion ago

[@jewelsverne9027]

6+ middle eastern and 1 european country later... plus all the big bank big education and big pharma bailouts, thats an easy 20 tril i feel like im playing price is right

[@volition51]

It's not about how much is paid. It's about what right does any government have to take our money and tell us what to do? Theft is ok because people NEED things? That's the same "thinking" behind every crook in the world. Let charity be voluntary. And the people who are not ok with that want something for nothing.

[@tcp8946]

In theory, we need taxes as they are a method of controlling inflation. Money that goes to the government is essentially removed from circulation, increasing the value of the money remaining in circulation. The problem in reality is that the government creates and spends more new money faster than they can tax us, so the entire system is not functioning the way it is meant to anyway.

[@dreisiglps2451]

​@@tcp8946 You have understood absolutely nothing. So I tell it to you. Is coercion good?

[@tcp8946]

@@dreisiglps2451 I'm not saying it is right. I believe taxes are theft. That is irrelevant. I am just stating that, that is the way our government is meant to coexist with the economy in our federal reserve banking system. We need to go back to gold.

[@Archedgar]

@@tcp8946 Could you explain how taxation is "a method to control inflation"? I'm afraid the notion that govt just 'burns' money in gigantic piles of $$ is farcical to the extreme. If I point a gun at you and take everything you own (theft), does that "lower inflation"? if you're going to lie, at least lie better next time.

[@tcp8946]

@@Archedgar Yes, essentially the government does burn money. It is supposed to, to some degree, at least because of the federal reserve. Your taxes are not funding your streets the way you think they are. They are paying for interest on loans that the government has taken out from private banks. And I will say it again, because we are not on the gold standard, money is not a receipt anymore, it is a "trust" we share in it, and these banks can loan an infinite amount of money to the government and individuals, the entire idea of taxes has become pointless and useless because the money has no real intrinsic value in the first place. And they could never collect enough taxes to pay for their reckless spending, so the only thing that happens is inflation, because the interest payments for the government (we the people) to these banks for the amount of money in circulation keep increasing and will eventually exceed our GDP. And the taxes we pay 100 times on $1, that we are all stupid enough to allow to keep happening for some reason hurts all of us, besides these banks, but the money needs to be removed from circulation some way (taxes being wasted by the government, and also actually literally old dollar bills being shredded and burned, they do do that sometimes to remove currency from circulation, just FYI) or else inflation would run absolutely rampant because the government will not stop borrowing money. Most taxes are evil, but they are necessary as long as we keep borrowing more than we can afford. Our taxes are too high, but the bigger issue is the spending problem in our government. It is a 2 headed dragon.

[@sidwhiting665]

It's interesting to see how incensed John was when the national debt was $13 trillion... we're TRIPLE that now. I'm convinced it's going to keep getting worse until it all finally falls apart under it's own weight. The only thing that I'm not sure about is how long that will take.

[@Dan16673]

There will be a crisis eventually

[@therealsapdad1942]

Could be as soon as this summer

[@goodgoyim9459]

whats even funnier is this idea of 'black farmers' as if blacks can farm.

[@bills5009]

@@Dan16673 We are quickly running out of other people's money...

[@Dan16673]

@@bills5009 we've been out. The banking system is mostly credit creation, sir

[@akoben]

Professor Hill had no idea how big the government was at that time, yet he wants more. Priceless.

[@fochjr4223]

Clearly he won't be happy until the state has the means of production

[@ko7305]

Warchild, refugee and legal immigrant here. kina virus released to fk up the elections...millions dead, billion+ with heart/organ issues...evil know no bounds, 100% intentionally released...just to get one man out of office, one man they could not buy/control. I have seen what communism will do to stay in or get in power. Anything! Chinese killed 30+ million of their own for power less than a century ago. It was a crazy conspiracy theory that FBI smoked Kennedy and now we know it is true. It was a conspiracy theory that kina virus was manmade but now we know it is true. MSM/Big Tech working overtime to censor/ban. This was intentionally released to fk up US election and for the Chinese to get protesters of Hong Kong streets because if Hong Kong goes so do commies in China. Win-win for commies and US dems....millions dead, billion+ with heart/organ issues. Godless people will always create hell.

[@sunlite9759]

NO! That is typical re-election speech.

[@moneymikz]

My favorite is the payroll tax, I have to pay the government for the right to pay my employees… 🤦‍♂️

[@oneoldcurmudgeon403]

"Where is America headed?" Right into the pooper that's where.

[@oooshafiqooo4722]

What is mean why right? I hope i dont get it wrong tho cause right is usually are pro nationalistic leaning

[@MusicLover-vq3ol]

lots of cities are already there

[@Wired4Life2]

@@MusicLover-vq3ol Right on the streets-needles, too. (Am I right, San Francisco?)

[@jovetj]

We're already there.

[@acem82]

Mr. Stossel has done more for liberty in my lifetime than almost anyone. Hats off to you, sir!

[@BobRooney290]

because Stossel is fed up. thats why he does these videos. he's a journalist, and has to keep that level of professionalism for the sake of sanity.

[@michaelashby9654]

Meh, populism is a delusion. A vote is essentially a useless form of power and with mass immigration your vote becomes even less important. If anything, by believing you have power, you are allowed to remain passive. It seems like a cope to me.

[@The10cmorgan]

Thanks for making these videos I wish more Americans would watch you. You rock

[@brucewilliamsstudio4932]

This is old, but still relevant. Both the Dems and the Repubs are spending like drunken sailors.

[@ko7305]

Warchild, refugee and legal immigrant here. kina virus released to fk up the elections...millions dead, billion+ with heart/organ issues...evil know no bounds, 100% intentionally released...just to get one man out of office, one man they could not buy/control. I have seen what communism will do to stay in or get in power. Anything! Chinese killed 30+ million of their own for power less than a century ago. It was a crazy conspiracy theory that FBI smoked Kennedy and now we know it is true. It was a conspiracy theory that kina virus was manmade but now we know it is true. MSM/Big Tech working overtime to censor/ban. This was intentionally released to fk up US election and for the Chinese to get protesters of Hong Kong streets because if Hong Kong goes so do commies in China. Win-win for commies and US dems....millions dead, billion+ with heart/organ issues. Godless people will always create hell.

[@majorduck523]

How surprising the same issues are only getting worse

[@dionrau5580]

That's what they do, identify a problem and spend there career and billions and at Best nothing changes,at Worst and more likely gets worse than ever, either way it don't get fixed.

[@mastercabbage]

Ever since the bronze age it’s always been the same problems.

[@brookingsbeachcomber]

illegit joe has been working at it for over 50 years

[@zanthraxnl]

Government has no incentive to deliver services that are effective or efficient. They do not work for you. The reality is that half of what government does achieves the exact opposite of what it intended to do. The net result would be zero, if it weren't for the enormous amount of money wasted on simply keeping an incompetent government running.

[@Paducahrus]

Sigh. I will never understand why I'm greedy because I want to keep what I earn, but the person who wants to force me to give them what I earn isn't greedy.

[@Archedgar]

Because it's not about 'greed' but if it was, they'd be extremely greedy, envious & vile. No. They just want to enslave you and will say anything to keep pushing toward that end.

[@Ms.MD7]

Right. So fckn annoying. Tired of giving handouts.

[@Celestial_Wing]

Most of these bills aren't even meant to help us, they're only meant to help their rich friends who helped them get into office.

[@GaryR55]

I was going to say this is a bit dated, but it actually makes very apparent that nothing has changed - except that things have become far worse.

[@GaryR55]

@bastiat "This isn't new, Gary..." Are you asking me or telling me? I'm 71 this October and I said nothing that would have created the impression this is anything new to me.

[@TheAnimeist]

@bastiat GaryR55 said: "nothing has changed". So why are you telling him: "this isnt new gary"?

[@GaryR55]

@@TheAnimeist You left out the rest of what I said: "...except that things have become far worse."

[@jimruby9657]

To the people who were yelling "Raise my taxes!" - if you were that serious about it then you do have the option to voluntarily submit more of your money to the government. I'm pretty sure everybody was using the word 'my' when they really meant 'everybody else's'

[@shawnc1016]

Well said!

[@jovetj]

As Rush used to say: "Just write them a check! They will cash it!!"

[@Alan0000able]

Or you know they want it to be done systematically because it only works when all chip in?

[@shawnc1016]

@@Alan0000able Some of us have already chipped in plenty. Ante up if you're that anxious.

[@fah-qtube3775]

“When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.” -Benjamin Franklin

[@EventHoriXZ0n]

Benjamin Franklin never said this

[@jovetj]

@@EventHoriXZ0n But he did say, "A republic, ma'am, if you can keep it!"

[@jeffwestbrooke279]

Not only do they spend your tax dollars, but they get a loan on taxes they haven't taken from you, your children, and your grandchildren yet and you all have to pay interest on that as well.

[@LynyrdSkynyrd.4Ever]

Pretty soon the interest on the debt will exceed the GNP - that's going to be interesting

[@shmadden7454]

Man, it's unreal to look back at $13 trillion in debt and think "That's a fraction of where it is today..." after just twelve years...

[@applesauce1680]

"The gov't spends $10k/person" umm, I'm not feelin it as much as the 20k I pay.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Government mismanagement, that's the issue.

[@Archedgar]

@@ricardocantoral7672 Tyranny & corruption* aka leftism. Stalin, Hitler, Mao & Saddam Hussein were all staunch leftists. There's a reason they took their respective nations down their chosen paths.

[@Firnen13]

"Where is America headed?" To the same end as Rome.

[@kingofthorns203]

Have you read Leonard Read’s letter on that subject? Written decades ago but still striking.

[@RupertFoulmouth]

No one ever says "we" should pay more. They say "they" should pay more. It works the same with cutting spending. People call for cuts only in when they do not benefit from the spending.

[@fuminarokonoe5272]

Thanks for reuploading the Classic Stossel Videos

[@davidogundipe808]

I knew this was a reupload.

[@kavika7313]

I knew all this in elementary school. How do you go from being a bartender making minimum wage probably helping more people than ever.....to a congresswoman making 200k (maybe more) not doing a damn thing?

[@justme-in2jb]

We were warned years ago that we would get exactly where we are and it wasn't sustainable. I don't have much for Paul Ryan, but I do appreciate a lot of things he tried to do when Obama was in office. I'm sure that when he walked out of Congress and handed control to the Democrats it was a hard personal decision for him, I hope that history will reveal that his move wasn't in vain. This is 4/7/23 and as much as I appreciate John Stossel, I'm afraid that his battle with the Covid might have affected his unique ability to reason, this Paxlovid hasn't been proven to be released on the population either, and I do know that I have a deep personal bias against this Pfizer bunch and the criminals that backed them. There should be a court much like the Nuremburg court that investigates and holds all of these criminals liable for murder, just my opinion.

[@dreisiglps2451]

No court can stop it. All politicians are criminals. Communism, in other words, government, is nothing but a superstition.

[@dreisiglps2451]

You can only have justice by spreading this message.

[@KrytoRift]

"government is us" has become the real fairy tale

[@Paladin1873]

Thank God we're not still living in 2009 when the problem was getting out of hand. 🙂

[@myownhome2959]

2009 was a minor disturbance to what is coming in the coming months .

[@tedubadu2536]

The last bit of the video walking through daily taxes was excellent, John.

[@DHB373]

Depressing how true this has become.

[@jovetj]

All I have to say is ARTICLE V CONVENTION OF STATES! Congress will NEVER vote themselves less power. WE THE PEOPLE have to take power from them!

[@ILovePancakes24]

If they stopped spending they wouldn't see the dollar lose value. Congress spends, but each time they do the inflation monster gets bigger

[@TheShiold123456]

"The government is us" hahaha

[@vinced.7713]

Cant wait to see what the next 12 years has for us.

[@theinitiate110]

Lets hope we can make it another 12 years.

[@junecahill5715]

All I can say is I'm glad I'm 63 and not 33. I feel for my daughters and my grandchildren. They will not live in the same US I did. Start with NOTHING, and work like crazy to build 'something' to be able to retire relatively comfortable - until the dollar looses it's value. Husband is Brasilian. Went through 'hyper-inflation' there. The paper money/coins you had in your pocket at night were worth NOTHING in the morning. Many countries have gone through this - Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Cuba - Brasil is doing this again - but we never seem to learn our lessons from other's failures. Too bad.

[@sumatrican5990]

The phrase “it’s not yours to give” comes to mind.

[@snake1625b]

"Good" politician: I want good thing! Reasonable politician: how you pay for good thing? "Good" politician: he want bad thing!!

[@kordi7888]

Freedomtoons 😂

[@TheStickCollector]

I want to make a small government, or at least smaller than the us nowadays

[@paulromano3566]

It’s not a libertarian fairytale it’s an American nightmare

[@jrstegner]

The Government being involved in Student Loans is EXACTLY what we're talking about when we say the Government is Too Big. The Federal Government should have no influence on the education of youth. Zero. Keep education Local.

[@peterbrunsgaard2012]

My favorite journalist! 👏👏🙏🙏

[@robweissman5952]

Ahhhhh the good ol' days of ONLY 13 Tee... That dude got he's wish and they spent waaaay more. 💕LOOK HOW HAPPY IT'S MADE EVERYBODY!

[@rhekman]

Lol, back when we thought Paul Ryan was the future of the Republican Party.

[@kingofthorns203]

They’re all statist socialists. It’s appalling how out of control the spending has gotten with both D and R in office.

[@krotchlickmeugh627]

He was. Look at them now. Moaning and whining. Getting their sound bites. But everyone of those bills that get passed have their names on them

[@liberty-matrix]

"Show me a man that gets rich by being a politician, and I'll show you a crook." -Pres. Harry S. Truman

[@Donorcyclist]

More applicable today than even then. Thank you, John.

[@Se7enChk]

I recall that when Paul Ryan had the means he resisted repealing the ACA and other parts of big govt.

[@83licata]

his remarks didn't age well!!!!!

[@ronhamm]

The good old days when we were ONLY thirteen trillion dollars in debt!!

[@t_c5266]

"20%, 30%, whatever it takes" "it's at 40%" "well that doesn't matter!"

[@ndngirl4ever13]

We are not the government, WE ARE THE PEOPLE the government is suppose to protect. The government is our employees and we r it's employer.

[@sergiovalenti7255]

Blah, blah, blah, yak, yak, yak. The gov is only getting worse and worse as we go. Something needs to be done, now. Love your work, John!

[@RVJunke1]

@John Stossel - you should re-do this with todays lens...OMG this problem is so much worse now!

[@TheLastJayL]

Pay out fair share = livable wage = no idea what that is. They don’t ever put a price on things. They just ask for more.

[@Trid3nt861]

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help." - *Ronald Regan*

[@Smirch72]

This is great work. You're a blessing John👍👍

[@Fantastic_Mr_Fox]

This classic stossel video made me appreciate how much you've improved as a creator. The classic videos are great, but they still all have a few problems in common that aren't so present now

[@mathewhaynes3691]

The graph shows it started around 1913. What happened?

[@darinfonder1388]

The fed

[@tomjull1106]

Prohibition resulted in the first federal income tax.

[@robertbowman9108]

the passage of a amendment allowing the income tax, before that revenue stream gov didn't have the ability to raise enough funds to grow

[@GodHasThis]

Great video, but boy did Paul Ryan fool you! He’s all show, as “they” all are. Saying one thing, doing another. “They” are all members of one BIG Club of which we don’t belong. We the people finance that club, but where ARE the benefits? 💔😓♥️🙏

[@markharral]

I’m still waiting for someone to explain why it’s my responsibility to “take care of other people”.. my parents kicked me out at 15 and all I had was a duffel bag of clothes and $50 bucks to my name. No one and I mean no one helped me. Now 34 years later I own my home I am an owner operator trucker. I have a very secure retirement plan not taking ssi. On average I make $120k a year before taxes. Why should I pay MORE in taxes for others? why is it my responsibility? When everything thing I have I earned by working my butt off.

[@LizRealGirlBeauty]

Crazy to say "we are the government" when we have no control over it and it's actively antagonistic towards us.

[@MrLawandorderman]

I’ll say it again, God bless you! I send your videos to my liberal family.

[@kourakis]

No, government is not ‘us’. Government is rulers who do things to us against our will, under threat of escalating force. None of us has the right to do what government does, and none of us ever had such a right to cede it to rulers.

[@agsilverradio2225]

Have you covered the Restrict act?

[@IMDunn-oy9cd]

We are spending ourselves into financial ruin.

[@dustinabc]

Who is we?

[@IMDunn-oy9cd]

@@dustinabc The United States.

[@camofeet]

I feel all of these taxes, and I'm really sick of tax on everything.

[@kevintackett7564]

You know what's so great about Mr Stossel? He didn't write "1984", he's living in it!!

[@michal.abramowicz]

Heading to disaster! Like Bud Light one ;)

[@jebbrady8941]

To hell in a handbag

[@gvjester]

On the express train!!

[@DTMWTD]

how far we've fallen since 2010. this makes me sad. there's nowhere to go to escape it either.

[@kababyenoh]

"Governments care only about its own power and expanding wherever and whenever possible." ~ George Carlin

[@kinjunranger140]

We need 2 countries.

[@dustinabc]

Nope- we need to recognize and understand liberty and natural rights, and that the only legitimate gov't is one you support voluntarily. We need at least as many gov'ts as we have churches.

[@plaguedoct0r]

You always knock it out of the park. Another great video, thanks!

[@dlight9849]

Its not always what the government spends, as it is what the government wastes. I work for the State of Illinois and our jobs are union - we are only required to work 2 hours per day, yet get paid for a full 8 hour day. That equates to 4 people doing the job that 1 person could do. So much excessive waste.

[@rickforse8518]

When people come to rely on the government to provide food, shelter and healthcare they are also allowing the government to decide what they can eat, where they can live and what medical treatments they can have. That’s a recipe for DISASTER! To relinquish freedoms for a little bit of safety is a BAD DEAL!

[@ordinarymann47]

I love John, but I gotta say the fact that all his videos look like it's still filmed in the 90s cracks me up in the most pleasant way

[@kourakis]

Replace the term ‘government’ with ‘violence-backed coercion of peaceful individuals’, and the root of the problem appears rather clearly. If, at its initial relatively-small starting point, we accept such extortion as moral, we have no ground on which to oppose its later growth and metastasis.

[@bquade70]

Excellent John...

[@howardfowler2255]

The colonists screamed about taxation without representation Now we have taxation with representation ( Congress) and spending without restraint that no nation can survive .But we keep on shooting ourselves in the foot and wonder why we can't walk.

[@llamatooth]

You’re the best man! Love it! Keep exposing the liars and deep monied interests.

[@llamatooth]

They don’t understand the scale of inefficiency of govt. In my Price Theory textbook from college it states that, “for every 7 dollars that goes to any cause, 1 dollar actually makes it to the cause it was intended for” due to administrative bloat.

[@pm5206]

So true, which is why I am an independent and don’t like anyone in federal politics. More of the same crap.

[@cabinnorthwi4622]

Our actual need for govt is low. We have states and local gov. Where we actually live.

[@albionicamerican8806]

The problem is not the size of the Federal Government, but whose interests it is promoting or protecting. If we had ethical and competent elites which valued and respected the nation's white population, instead of treating us as throwaways, the government at whatever size it was would generally make our lives better.

[@TheBertoUsa]

Thank you for making this video.

[@blamb42]

I just want to point out that the surge in government spending started at about the same time as the creation of the Federal Reserve and their "collection agency" the IRS. That is not a coincidence. As for the previous comments that predict that it will go on until the system collapses, they are right. The current fiat monetary system is unsustainable in the long run. Value based money creates a stable economy and "allows" growth.

[@siral2000]

Mark Lamont Hill is the type of person that sees an employee that talks on their phone, steals office supplies, and browses the internet. And thinks "That person needs a raise. If I just give him more money they'll work harder."

[@vickiroman189]

"Our fair share"??? I feel like I'm living on a rapidly shrinking shoestring while supporting at least 5 people I don't even know.

[@FerrousAradicen]

Should have a list of all the people that want higher taxes and increase only their taxes.

[@brianevans6819]

6:11 Ahhhh...... the good ole' days..... when our national debt was "only" 13 trillion dollars. 😜 😂 😀 Unfortunately, politicians are not held responsible for paying back overspending, or sticking to a budget. There is no incentive for sticking to a budget. Politicians who say, to get our debt under control, we will have to reduce or eliminate a few benefits, will not likely get re-elected. If we could just reduce waste and inefficency, we could dramatically reduce our defecit. However, this is what makes certain people rich. ex: the $640.00 toilet seat, the $20,000 trash can. 😜

[@Hoss999]

Thank you

[@TwilightMysts]

One way to look at it is "We are in a battle over whether the U.S. is big government, or limited government." But the way I look at it is "We are in a battle over whether the government forces everyone to live a certain way, or people are free to make their own choices."

[@randy74989]

This is classic and prophetic. We are now a taker nation under both administrations and the bureaucrats in Washington. If you add up all the taxes you pay, federal, state, and local annually you will be amazed. "What are the 5 most common taxes Americans pay? In fact, when every tax is tallied - federal, state and local income tax (corporate and individual); property tax; Social Security tax; sales tax; excise tax; and others - Americans spend 29.2 percent of our income in taxes each year."

[@politicalfoolishness7491]

When the guy says "stop assigning blame" to the current administration, he completely misses the opportunity to assign the credit for finally fixing it. SMH

[@herbertvonsauerkrautunterh2513]

Holy cow. I want nothing from government, just the freedom to run my life and do what I see fit for myself and family. I can do it better

[@jakeprater03]

The fact that he stated most of it was due to waste and inefficiency, then in the next breath said it's not big enough, without addressing the inefficiency and the need to curb wasteful spending, tells me something.

[@probuilder961]

The "makers" are taken for granted that they will always be there to "take" from. This is the premise for Atlas Shrugged.

[@swirlingbrain]

Your friendly reminder: We are from the government and we are here to help!

[@Fin4L6are]

This will be eternally relevant