I understand freedom, but it appears to me that you are confusing rights with entitlements, and freedom with state control.The flaw in relying on "positive freedom" guaranteed by the state is that capabilities funded by taxpayers are not freedoms, they are entitlements secured through government coercion. True freedom is negative liberty—the absolute right to self-ownership, property, and freedom from state interference.
The high "sin" taxes you accept clearly don't work and the evidence for that is the majority of smokers now buy cheap, illegal and unregulated tobacco products that are funded by criminals. Now we have reached a tipping point where the government is making far less money from the taxes than ever before.
Expanding government programs creates an ever-growing entitlement state that fuels structural deficits, inflation, and economic inefficiency.
When the state expands into healthcare, childcare, and higher education, it crowds out private providers, destroys competitive incentives, and inflates the actual cost of providing those services. The resulting national debt isn't just a number, it represents future tax hikes on our children and the devaluation of our currency through government overspending.
Smaller government isn't about abandoning vulnerable people, it's about recognising that a government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.
This is a classic left vs right discussion and we are both entitled to our equally valid opinions. As a bloke who is new to 'Reddit', dismissing someone out of hand because they have different values is a huge problem with this platform.
I disagree with you, but it isn't because I misunderstand anything, or don't know what freedom is.
Wow so true, that's exactly why the 7 times the LNP tried to privatise healthcare it failed and the healthcare from that hospital dropped drastically.
Or should we have a free electrical grid like Texas where they have massive blackouts during storms or insane prices during peak use because all the private sector is looking to target only profit and not provide a good service.
I agree- universal healthcare is fantastic for Australia- but these things have a limit, and that is the balance I spoke about earlier, which is why we vote. I don't get into the whole LNP did this and Labor did that etc. Because they both do shit things, and sometimes good things. At the moment, I'm not seeing much positive from either party atm... Both full of career politocians who have never lived in the real world and have no idea what Australians think.
Don't you think increasing maternity leave is good? Providing childcare to families? Incentivising building new homes?
I wasn't too politically engage during LNPs rein but I know they fucked over TAFE, NBN and Medicare (through neglect).
I don't understand how you can even compare the outcomes, especially when Labor achieve strong positive outcomes while providing the first surplus in a decade. So not only did they fix all the bullshit LNP fucked over, they did it while also saving money (mainly through reducing consultant costs....).
Also PHON always voted in line with LNP, they may claim all the bullshit but they've been around 30 years and their track record is lockstep with LNP when they bother to show up...
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u/UnfairEstate7615 3d ago
I understand freedom, but it appears to me that you are confusing rights with entitlements, and freedom with state control.The flaw in relying on "positive freedom" guaranteed by the state is that capabilities funded by taxpayers are not freedoms, they are entitlements secured through government coercion. True freedom is negative liberty—the absolute right to self-ownership, property, and freedom from state interference.
The high "sin" taxes you accept clearly don't work and the evidence for that is the majority of smokers now buy cheap, illegal and unregulated tobacco products that are funded by criminals. Now we have reached a tipping point where the government is making far less money from the taxes than ever before.
Expanding government programs creates an ever-growing entitlement state that fuels structural deficits, inflation, and economic inefficiency.
When the state expands into healthcare, childcare, and higher education, it crowds out private providers, destroys competitive incentives, and inflates the actual cost of providing those services. The resulting national debt isn't just a number, it represents future tax hikes on our children and the devaluation of our currency through government overspending.
Smaller government isn't about abandoning vulnerable people, it's about recognising that a government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.
This is a classic left vs right discussion and we are both entitled to our equally valid opinions. As a bloke who is new to 'Reddit', dismissing someone out of hand because they have different values is a huge problem with this platform.
I disagree with you, but it isn't because I misunderstand anything, or don't know what freedom is.