--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As many frustrated Americans who have…" description: "\"“As many frustrated Americans who have joined the Tea Party realize, we cannot stand against big government at home while supporting it abroad. We cann..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/ron-paul-686_big-government_as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-jo_2241186.jpg" --- # As many frustrated Americans who have joined the Tea Party… ![“As many frustrated Americans who have joined the Tea Party realize, we cannot stand against big government at home while supporting it abroad. We cannot talk about fiscal responsibility while spending trillions on occupying and bullying the rest of the world. We cannot talk about the budget…” quote by Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/ron-paul-686_big-government_as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-jo_2241186.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/ron-paul-686_big-government_as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-jo_2241186.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/ron-paul-686_big-government_as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-jo_2241186.jpg) > ““As many frustrated Americans who have joined the Tea Party realize, we cannot stand against big government at home while supporting it abroad. We cannot talk about fiscal responsibility while spending trillions on occupying and bullying the rest of the world. We cannot talk about the budget deficit and spiraling domestic spending without looking at the costs of maintaining an American empire of more than 700 military bases in more than 120 foreign countries. We cannot pat ourselves on the back for cutting a few thousand dollars from a nature preserve or an inner-city swimming pool at home while turning a blind eye to a Pentagon budget that nearly equals those of the rest of the world combined.”” [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes hypocrisy of demanding fiscal restraint domestically while funding extensive overseas military operations, highlighting the inconsistency between anti‑government rhetoric and support for a large imperial budget. **In simple terms:** Calling out double standards in government spending. Key Takeaway Align spending priorities with stated values. Themes fiscal responsibility government spending foreign policy hypocrisy military budget Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - political debate - budget analysis - activism - media commentary Key Concepts budget deficit imperialism public accountability political rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens influence both domestic and foreign spending? - What trade‑offs are acceptable in national defense? A Different Perspective The argument may overlook the complexities of national security and economic interdependence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-government/) [Blind eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind-eye/) [Domestic Spending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domestic-spending-1545535/) [Fiscal responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiscal-responsibility/) [Frustrated Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustrated-americans-1534035/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Spending Trillions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spending-trillions-2294494/) [Swimming pool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimming-pool/) [Tea party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tea-party/) [Trillions Occupying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trillions-occupying-5081073/) [Turning A Blind Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turning-a-blind-eye/) ## Related quotes > [To frustrated Americans who have begun boycotting BP: Welcome to the club. It's great not to be the only member any more!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/to-frustrated-americans-who-have-begun-boycotting-bp-welcome-to-the/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [I'm always frustrated that most Americans, even activists, know so little about the movements and people that have made America a better country. Yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dreier/i-m-always-frustrated-that-most-americans-even-activists-know-so/) [Peter Dreier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dreier/) > [And so we go over the cliff fiscally, and our Republican friends try to pin the blame on discretionary domestic spending, including spending for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-so-we-go-over-the-cliff-fiscally-and-our-republican-friends-try/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Under the Barack Obama rules, if you wanted to help the military, if you wanted a pay raise for the soldiers, if you wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/under-the-barack-obama-rules-if-you-wanted-to-help-the-military-if/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [Republicans traditionally say, 'oh, we'll cut domestic spending, but we won't touch the military.' The liberals - the ones who are good - will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/republicans-traditionally-say-oh-we-ll-cut-domestic-spending-but-we/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet. And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/my-view-is-that-we-don-t-know-what-s-causing-climate-change-on-this/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [The politicians in Washington are spending trillions of dollars of our money. When are Americans going to stand up and say enough is enough?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-politicians-in-washington-are-spending-trillions-of-dollars-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Big government conservatives are spending trillions and wasting billions. Republicans are no longer the party of fiscal conservancy, but the party of runaway spending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrod-brown/big-government-conservatives-are-spending-trillions-and-wasting/) [Sherrod Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrod-brown/) > [“The Paris Agreement will cost a fortune to carry out and do almost no good… Every single major industrialized country is failing to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjorn-lomborg/the-paris-agreement-will-cost-a-fortune-to-carry-out-and-do-almost-no/) [Bjorn Lomborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjorn-lomborg/) > [Despite spending trillions of dollars and spilling the blood of thousands of Americans, we remain in servitude to Arab oil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-troia-mcfarland/despite-spending-trillions-of-dollars-and-spilling-the-blood-of/) [Kathleen Troia McFarland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-troia-mcfarland/) > [We find all the no-life-support-wealth-producing people going to their 1980s jobs in their cars and buses, spending trillions of dollars' worth of petroleum daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/we-find-all-the-no-life-support-wealth-producing-people-going-to/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [We don't know what's causing climate change on this planet. And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/we-don-t-know-what-s-causing-climate-change-on-this-planet-and-the/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [The consequences of turning a blind eye to government corruption go far beyond simply letting some corrupt politicians and bureaucrats walk free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fitton/the-consequences-of-turning-a-blind-eye-to-government-corruption-go/) [Tom Fitton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fitton/) > [“Will we ever learn and truly see, when we continue turning a blind eye to those in despair, that are in badly need...we help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/will-we-ever-learn-and-truly-see-when-we-continue-turning-a-blind-eye/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## More by Ron Paul > [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [I'm an imperfect messenger, but the message is perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-m-an-imperfect-messenger-but-the-message-is-perfect/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [History has shown that the masses have been quite receptive to the promises of authoritarians which are rarely if ever fulfilled,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/history-has-shown-that-the-masses-have-been-quite-receptive-to-the/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [The reality is that our military presence on foreign soil is as offensive to the people that live there as armed Chinese troops would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-reality-is-that-our-military-presence-on-foreign-soil-is-as/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Right now, nobody legalized paper money. Where did that come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/right-now-nobody-legalized-paper-money-where-did-that-come-from/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/real-patriotism-is-a-willingness-to-challenge-the-government-when-it/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Expect the rapidly expanding homeschooling movement to play a significant role in the revolutionary reforms needed to build a free society with Constitutional protections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/expect-the-rapidly-expanding-homeschooling-movement-to-play-a/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [“Intellectually and compassionately explaining the reason freedom works is required for credibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/intellectually-and-compassionately-explaining-the-reason-freedom/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Governments have nothing. They can't create anything, they never have. All they can do is steal from one group and give it to another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/governments-have-nothing-they-can-t-create-anything-they-never-have/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Why is it is claimed that if people won't or can't take care of their own needs, that people in government can do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/why-is-it-is-claimed-that-if-people-won-t-or-can-t-take-care-of-their/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [It is dissent from government policies which defines the true Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/it-is-dissent-from-government-policies-which-defines-the-true-patriot/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-moral-and-constitutional-obligations-of-our-representatives-in/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [I will veto any spending bill that contains funding for Planned Parenthood, facilities that perform abortion and all government family planning schemes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-will-veto-any-spending-bill-that-contains-funding-for-planned/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Prices are going up. Unemployment is continue to go up. And we have not had the necessary correction for the financial bubble created by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/prices-are-going-up-unemployment-is-continue-to-go-up-and-we-have-not/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Scientifically, there's no debate over whether the fetus is alive and human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/scientifically-there-s-no-debate-over-whether-the-fetus-is-alive-and/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) [Explore all 411 Ron Paul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) ## More Big government quotes > [Big-government proponents embrace both the power of the federal government and the idea that millions of Americans ought to be dependent on its largesse.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/big-government-proponents-embrace-both-the-power-of-the-federal/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [Let's face a historical truth: we have never had a "free market", we have always had government intervention in the economy, and indeed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/let-s-face-a-historical-truth-we-have-never-had-a-free-market-we-have/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Pure, hard-core liberals believe in a superior race. They think they're it. They believe they're more intelligent than the general run of mankind, better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/pure-hard-core-liberals-believe-in-a-superior-race-they-think-they-re/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I think part of the reason the Tea Party has resonated is that people feel disempowered. The Tea Party says, "You are out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-think-part-of-the-reason-the-tea-party-has-resonated-is-that-people/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [Big government helps the people who have made it. It doesn't help the people who are trying to make it; it crushes the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/big-government-helps-the-people-who-have-made-it-it-doesn-t-help-the/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Hillary Clinton: putting big government spending financed by the Chinese ahead of good-paying jobs for middle-class Americans. Is she guilty or not guilty?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/hillary-clinton-putting-big-government-spending-financed-by-the/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [I'm not a big government guy. I believe in private industries taking care of people. I think they do a better job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-baio/i-m-not-a-big-government-guy-i-believe-in-private-industries-taking/) [Scott Baio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-baio/) > [Americans must either choose big government and be willing to pay for and submit to it, or they must move toward smaller, less intrusive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-demille/americans-must-either-choose-big-government-and-be-willing-to-pay-for/) [Oliver DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-demille/) > [What do intellectuals and opinion makers get from big government? An increasing number of cushy jobs in the bureaucracy, or in the government-subsidized sector,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/what-do-intellectuals-and-opinion-makers-get-from-big-government-an/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [America's Christian conservative movement is confronted with this divide: small-government advocates who want to practice their faith independent of heavy-handed government versus big-government sympathizers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-armey/america-s-christian-conservative-movement-is-confronted-with-this/) [Dick Armey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-armey/) > [Vietnam should remind conservatives that whenever you put your faith in big government for any reason, sooner or later you wind up an apologist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-hess/vietnam-should-remind-conservatives-that-whenever-you-put-your-faith/) [Karl Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-hess/) > [“Funding for the Special Operations Network comes directly from the government. Most work is centralized, but all of the SpecOps divisions have local representatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/funding-for-the-special-operations-network-comes-directly-from-the/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Offering 'comprehensive' reform usually means years of arguing and horse-trading among pressure groups to get anything done. By the time all the special interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-davis-hanson/offering-comprehensive-reform-usually-means-years-of-arguing-and/) [Victor Davis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-davis-hanson/) > [Unfortunately, President Obama's failed policies of new regulations, higher taxes, and Obamacare and his anti-business rhetoric have hit Hispanics especially hard. Big government really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/unfortunately-president-obama-s-failed-policies-of-new-regulations/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The press is hostile to the idea of liberty. Most people in the press are for big government. Most people think that the solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-press-is-hostile-to-the-idea-of-liberty-most-people-in-the-press/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) [Browse all 245 Big government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As many frustrated Americans who have joined the Tea Party realize, we cannot stand against big government at home while supporting it abroad. We cannot talk about fiscal responsibility while spending trillions on occupying and bullying the rest of the world. We cannot talk about the budget deficit and spiraling domestic spending without looking at the costs of maintaining an American empire of more than 700 military bases in more than 120 foreign countries. We cannot pat ourselves on the back for cutting a few thousand dollars from a nature preserve or an inner-city swimming pool at home while turning a blind eye to a Pentagon budget that nearly equals those of the rest of the world combined.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ron Paul" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-joined-the-tea-party-realize-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-joined-the-tea-party-realize-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/ron-paul-686_big-government_as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-jo_2241186.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/ron-paul-686_big-government_as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-jo_2241186.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/ron-paul-686_big-government_as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-jo_2241186.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As many frustrated Americans who have joined the Tea Party realize, we cannot stand against big government…” — Ron Paul", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ron Paul", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“As many frustrated Americans who have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-joined-the-tea-party-realize-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/as-many-frustrated-americans-who-have-joined-the-tea-party-realize-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```