system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do conservatives classify healthcare, education and infrastructure as "big government" but not the police and military?

Giving the state authority to shoot people and deprive them of their liberty on an arbitrary basis isn't an overreach of their authority but providing essential services isn't? I'm a little lost here in this line of thought.
gpt
It has to do with what you see as the role of government. Some people believe that the government should take an active role in people's lives, providing services on a day-to-day basis and enforcing rules and restrictions on various facets of society. Others believe that the government should instead be a safeguard against violence both internal and external and otherwise should let people live their lives unhindered by government interference. A belief in a strong police and military nicely aligns with the second view because both are necessary to prevent violence committed against each other and from an outside aggressor.