“I have certain rules I live by. My first rule: I don’t believe anything the government tells me.” George Carlin

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[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (9 children)

I think the context is very important for much of his work.

He said that in 1992, and earlier, specifically in reference to abusive administrations of George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan (especially, Reagan), which had screwed the 99% out of social programs, part of their Social Security (to pay for loans from China and tax breaks for the wealthy), taxes for massive military projects, regulations that would have protected their water and voting options, and many other things.

[–]Optimus85 8 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 2 fun -  (8 children)

Mistrust in the government isn't a partisan issue. Don't spin this into a "Democrat=Good/Republican=Bad" debate. Both parties are as equally bad and do not represent the people's interests in the least.

The habits of liberals, their automatic language, their knee-jerk responses to certain issues, deserved the epithets the right wing stuck them with. I'd see how true they often were. Here they were, banding together in packs, so I could predict what they were going to say about some event or conflict and it wasn't even out of their mouths yet. I was very uncomfortable with that. Liberal orthodoxy was as repugnant to me as conservative orthodoxy. -Carlin

[–]HugodeCrevellier 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (7 children)

Also, 'liberals' is a misnomer, as it's meant to define those that defend (certainly not attack) liberty, the consent of the governed and equality before the law.

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (6 children)

Liberalism isn't about liberty and NEVER HAS BEEN. It's always been about big government spending big money to "do things that the people could never achieve without government". i.e. get fucked.

[–]Noam_Chomsky 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (5 children)

I think you mean "progressivism".

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

Nope. Liberalism literally means "do what you want". And this applies to whom? The population? No sir. THE GOVERNMENT. Therefore big spending.

[–]Noam_Chomsky 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

http://world-history-education-resources.com/age-of-enlightenment/liberalism-enlightenment-age.html

Both the Age of Enlightenment and the birth of liberalism can be viewed as starting with the father of liberalism John Locke (1632 - 1704), although he was informed by thinkers like the Greeks, Machiavelli, Hobbes, and the events of the English Civil War.(More...). The political version of enlightenment is liberalism, the idea that all men are created equal, and have a right to life and liberty, and that this should be reflected in government.

Do you have any sources for your position?

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Maybe my position is specific to economic theories of government. I haven't studied that part of history that well, or the history of politics for that matter.

There are so many intersections in these topics where a term can confuse when it is used without sufficient context. So, my apologies for confusing "history of politics" liberalism with "economic theory of government" liberalism.

[–]Noam_Chomsky 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

No prob.

The roots of the progressive movement stem from the idea that govt can be used to fix people's problems.

[–]AcceleratedWallops 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Absolutely not. Stop chewing your Fox News pills and look around at your fellow Americans.