Sunday, November 14, 2010
Small Government
I admit I'm rather slow-witted. There has been evidence before me for years that would explain a puzzle I've had regarding the leaders of the Republican Party. I'm thinking specifically of leaders in Congress, particularly Senator McConnell of Kentucky, whose professed goal is to create a situation that will lead to the defeat of President Obama in his reelection campaign in 2012. The puzzle is that Senator McConnell surely must recognize the dire straits we are in as a nation, due mostly to the incompetence and arrogance of the previous administration. Why wouldn't Mr. McConnell as a patriotic citizen in a powerful position do what he could to get us out of the situation we're in?
The answer finally hit me. It's an old one. Republicans don't believe in government that provides useful or helpful services for the people. Government should be small and weak. Government shouldn't get in the way of a business making big profits by imposing regulations limiting air pollution, employee safety, working hours, and the like. Government shouldn't do things for the people like providing them a guaranteed retirement pension, guaranteed health care in retirement, protection for their savings accounts in banks, and rescuing people trapped by hurricanes and floods. In fact, it is necessary to show the people that government is really no good at such activities and they shouldn't rely on it. To make sure the public understands this inherent lack of capability previous Republican administrations have deliberately put incompetent people in charge of such departments as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The result was the housing scandal of the Reagan Administration and the incompetence of FEMA in dealing with the results of the hurricane in New Orleans.
Anyway, when you vote for Republicans these days you are voting for government that doesn't do anything for you.
The answer finally hit me. It's an old one. Republicans don't believe in government that provides useful or helpful services for the people. Government should be small and weak. Government shouldn't get in the way of a business making big profits by imposing regulations limiting air pollution, employee safety, working hours, and the like. Government shouldn't do things for the people like providing them a guaranteed retirement pension, guaranteed health care in retirement, protection for their savings accounts in banks, and rescuing people trapped by hurricanes and floods. In fact, it is necessary to show the people that government is really no good at such activities and they shouldn't rely on it. To make sure the public understands this inherent lack of capability previous Republican administrations have deliberately put incompetent people in charge of such departments as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The result was the housing scandal of the Reagan Administration and the incompetence of FEMA in dealing with the results of the hurricane in New Orleans.
Anyway, when you vote for Republicans these days you are voting for government that doesn't do anything for you.
Labels: FEMA in New Orleans; HUD scandal under Reagan; advocates of small government
