Since our tax money just goes into this vast pot (instead of paying for specific items or tasks, like we do in the commercial market), most people don't realize or care where their tax money is really going.  Even with the divisions of government that we directly interact with, such as the driver's license office?, the IRS or the Post Office, no matter how poor the experience is, customer complaints fall on deaf ears.

Yes, for certain cases that inspire passionate debate or allegiance, votes may be lost.  But how many people even know who specifically is responsible for a given entity of government anyway?  So if you disagree with a particular aspect of a government organization, who don't you vote for?  Heck, how many people even know who is currently representing them in the various levels of the community?  Of course, for most people the easiest thing to do is just point their finger at the President, but that's another whole issue altogether.

In the private sector though, no matter what the task, if someone is dissatisfied, they could always say "I could do better than this" and start their own business.  Or at the very least they could think to themselves "Surely, I could find service better than this", and seek the product or service elsewhere.  An independent organization must continually adjust to the needs and wants of the consumer, or it will be forced to give up a share of the market in which it resides.

The government though competes with and reports to no one. As a result, it has become a big, hairy slug of an animal that crawls along as a slimy, ugly entity.  It's like the worms in the movie Dune, or Tremors, where we the people live on the surface and if we want to avoid getting eaten by the beast or attack it yourself, you're basically out-of-luck.  It's virtually untouchable as it lives in big underground lairs and can come up and swallow you and/or your hard earned money at any time it wants to. Perhaps that's a little overly dramatic, but I believe that the only purposes of government should be very little more than those outlined in the Constitution.  Sure, there are there some social programs that are worthwhile, but by and large they should be run by private, commercial, charitable, or religious organizations. The more stories I read about pork spending, the more sickened and frustrated I become with how our federal (and state, but slightly less so) tax dollars are spent.

THE GOOD:
All of that being said, I have to also say that I love this country and I love the idea of the system that we have here in this country.  I just think that it has continued to grow, become bloated in size and scope, to eventually become a leech upon the very people it's supposed to support.

As I previously said in the Intro and Philosophy page, while I am generally aligned with the Libertarian party on many issues, I definitely do not believe in the idea of eliminating the government altogether.  In a civilized society, the government is entirely necessary to create laws and maintain order by enforcing these laws.  They are also necessary to create and maintain a military to defend our borders and protect its people.  There are also other little benefits that it can and should provide, like creating standards and safety regulations for example.  But it's my personal belief that it should be much, much, much smaller than it has become to date.

THE SUMMARY:
Herman Cain said it best (paraphrased) "Government is not supposed to fulfill your dreams.  It is only supposed to provide the best framework possible so you can get out there and fulfill them yourself."

Check out the Libertarian party home page if you're marginally curious about what I believe is a viable third party option.  I don't like every aspect of their platform, but I think it's certainly better than what the two primary parties (Republican and Democrat) currently have to offer.