Government is Not the Problem. Bad Government is the Problem.
And the solution to bad government is … good government.
A lot of people — maybe even most Americans — think that making government smaller will make it better.
But that reminds of the time when I a little kid that I got in trouble for pouring water out of a glass down a heat register in our house.
Why down a heat register? I can only say that it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Why was I pouring water out of a glass? Because the water was warm, and I wanted cold water. I figured I could pour the hot part out. What can I say? The logic of children.
With the experience, wisdom, and sagacity of age, I’ve realized why that wouldn’t work. It’s like blood-letting, right? If you drain off the bad blood, you’ll get better!
For the last thirty years, the Republicans have been engaged in the political (and intellectual) equivalent of blood-letting.
Contrary to what the sainted President Reagan said, government is not the problem. Bad government is the problem.
The solution to bad government is not small government, but good government.
Pass it on.
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Of course the trick is determining what’s good government.
Alternately, “The solution to bad government is not small government”, but it does equal less bad government. Sort of a least worst thing.
@Erik
So you’ve got a glass of warm water. You pour some out. You’ve got less warm water.
There’s this simplistic notion that all we have to do is cut government and the fabled utopia will arrive. It doesn’t require any effort, involvement, political compromise, good will, personal sacrifice, analysis, hard thinking, or long-term effort.
Finger twirling in cheek.
Time for some blocking and tackling.