Too much government?

Since the election I've been trying to identify my political leanings and usually I fall on the more liberal side of the fence. However, lately I have definitely been seeing some red flags in regards to our government.

1. Medical decisions.

As we jump into the debate regarding the broken healthcare system two court cases have caught my attention. This one and this one. The first one involves a family that refused to get their 13-year old chemotherapy due to their beliefs that alternative medicine was a better choice. The court ordered them to get chemo. The second is in regards to a family that prayed over their dying daughters body as she died from untreated diabetes. The mother was found guilty of second-degree reckless homicide. Both cases have started new discussions regarding parents rights when it comes to medical decisions. While it is clear that for the most part parents do have the ultimate say, it is also clear that it is not always the case and in life-threatening or other severe cases the parents must make a pretty strong case to win.

So what is right? Washington State recently passed a law legalizing certain forms of euthanasia. Should we have a say in how and when we die? Should that be a question for a court or a popular vote or anyone other than the individual? The cases above involved a minor which obviously makes a difference but is this a discussion of parents rights or individual rights? If we want to do something that could kill us do we have the right? I say yes. The strength of individual liberty, in my opinion, is not just the individual rights but the belief that we can make the best choices for ourselves. Not that our choices will always be better than others but that if we do not retain the right to make those choices, someone else will. Who gets to make that call? The courts? Doctors? Politicians? I believe that while the advice of experts should be respected, if you think God will save you and doctor-recommended chemo won't, by all means give it a go. After all it's not like these parents wanted to sue the medcical establishment for not saving their daughter, they placed the sole responsibilty in Gods hands.

That of course could take us down a different path - is one really taking personal responsibility if they are actually placing all responsibility on God? Is personal responsibility something we can dodge if we play the God (or Devil) card? Religious freedom has not proven to trump taking personal responsibility for the consequences of ones actions, even if you personally believe you had nothing to do with it...it was all God.

2. Executive Pay Caps

There has been a lot of outrage over the recent 'revelations' that top executives pay themselves crazy amounts of money. It was never really an issue until those same executives continued to get their multi-million dollar salaries as their companies self destructed and they took millions (sometimes billions) in federal money.

Our law makers have pay caps, our president has a set paycheck. Why would a company being funded by the government NOT have a paycap as well? That makes sense. BUT does it cross over into territory that could be abused. Probably, what government program doesn't. That does not mean it will be but it could. Also, these companies are not owned or entirely funded by the government so should they be subject to the same rules? I have no answers but my gut says that we should make it hard and uncomfortable to accept government money in the private sector. The last bailout fiasco with no accountability, no requirement of disclosure and obvious abuse was a pretty big red flag if you ask me. If you're too big to fail, suck it up and take a pay cut! However, I do feel as though some are being demonized for things far beyond their control.

The moral of the story is that YES government interference in the private sector is cause for concern. It is not always bad, nor is it always good but it is ALWAYS cause for concern or at the very least vibrant debate.

More and more I find myself in the socially liberal, fiscally conservative camp. However that in itself sometimes feels like a contradiction.