The only function of the government is to protect the people from criminals. Whether you live in a big city or invest in financial items, the government does a pretty poor job of protection. They are pretty good at protecting us from rock throwing people from countries that also happen to have large oil reserves and or produce alot of opium.

The government should not be an insurance fund for banks or for destroyed cities like New Orleans. We shound not redistribute wealth inorder to buy votes and perpetuate poverty. Cause and effect, if you bail people out of stupid decisions or pay them to be unproductive, those very segments of society will and have grown. Socialism failed throught the world in the 1900's and countries like Russia and China have moved away from it and prospered, while the USA becomes more socialistic, facist, and bankrupt by the day.