The issue is that they do not comprehend what "smaller" actually means. They cannot imagine a government that controls less, so in their mind when someone suggests "smaller government", they imagine a consolidated government, not a small government.
Which is funny because it implies that it's somehow better to have a tyrannical government made of many over a single tyrant, forgetting that the issue isn't the size, but the tyranny.
I don't think they are "forgetting". Whenever I would talk to a lefty about reducing government power if they hate Trump so much, or about police abusing power, their answer would always boil down to "Oh no we do want that power, just in our hands."
What you said about smaller vs consolidated is a good observation though. That destroys this meme.
I more meant in the very specific instance of an undeniable tyranny. Within general discussions about government power, reach and size, there is no forgetting, they absolutely want as much size and scope as they can get. But in this specific example, the idea is that a tyranny of mass scale is supposedly better than a tyranny of a singular individual.
As others have pointed out, it's a very paternalistic view of the state, where it's treated as their keeper/ward/guardian/parent, rather than what should be at best nothing more than a framework. Everything else is nothing more than bribes by politicians to give one group benefits at the cost of another for votes so that they remain in power through "democracy", AKA mob rule (those bribes being more commonly called social safety nets or similar terms).
The issue is that they do not comprehend what "smaller" actually means. They cannot imagine a government that controls less, so in their mind when someone suggests "smaller government", they imagine a consolidated government, not a small government.
Which is funny because it implies that it's somehow better to have a tyrannical government made of many over a single tyrant, forgetting that the issue isn't the size, but the tyranny.
I don't think they are "forgetting". Whenever I would talk to a lefty about reducing government power if they hate Trump so much, or about police abusing power, their answer would always boil down to "Oh no we do want that power, just in our hands."
What you said about smaller vs consolidated is a good observation though. That destroys this meme.
I more meant in the very specific instance of an undeniable tyranny. Within general discussions about government power, reach and size, there is no forgetting, they absolutely want as much size and scope as they can get. But in this specific example, the idea is that a tyranny of mass scale is supposedly better than a tyranny of a singular individual.
As others have pointed out, it's a very paternalistic view of the state, where it's treated as their keeper/ward/guardian/parent, rather than what should be at best nothing more than a framework. Everything else is nothing more than bribes by politicians to give one group benefits at the cost of another for votes so that they remain in power through "democracy", AKA mob rule (those bribes being more commonly called social safety nets or similar terms).