Rooting For The Government To Fail
I'm with reason's Radley Balko:
I don't promote government failure, I expect it. And my expectations are met fairly often. What I promote is the idea that more people share my expectations, so fewer people are harmed by government failure, and so we can stop this slide toward increasingly large portions of our lives being subject to the whims, interests, and prejudices of politicians.I will concede that there's a problem, here. In the private sector failure leads to obsolescence (unless you happen to work for a portion of the private sector that politicians think should be preserved in spite of failure). When government fails, people like Dinauer and, well, the government claim it's a sign that we need more government. It's not that government did a poor job, or is a poor mechanism for addressing that particular problem, it's that there just wasn't enough government. Of course, the same people will point to what they call government success as, also, a good argument for more government.
It's a nifty trick. The right does it with national security. The fact that we haven't had a major terrorist attack since September 11, 2001 proves that the Bush administration's heavy-handed, high-security approach to fighting terrorism worked! But if we had suffered another attack, the same people would have been arguing that we need to surrender more of our civil liberties to the security state. Two sides. Same coin.
I just don't understand how so many grown adults can be so naive as to think they can rely on government as their protector.
I just don't understand how so many grown adults can be so naive as to think they can rely on government as their protector - Amy
Becuase people are stupid. Just the other day I got a visit from the cops becuase someone heard me complaining about airport securty, the numerous flaws that can never be corrected or accounted for, and the brain dead morons who confiscate tweesers and miss gun components on the days they are informed they are being tested.
Seems the athourites dont take to kindly to having their problems pointed out - dont know why as even the morons working for the TSA know how pointless they are.
Anyone know how to find out if your on a no fly list?
lujlp at April 22, 2010 1:39 AM
I think part of it is the desire by a large percentage of people to not grow up and be responsible. If you have a big nanny state to take care of you and tell you what you can and can't do, then you can feel secure and protected like a kid.
The same applies to religion.
William (wbhicks@hotmail.com) at April 22, 2010 5:58 AM
Because Amy, people have allowed themselves to get complacent. They have been scared into complacency. They have gotten so comfortable with the "govt will take care of me mentality" that they have actually convinced themselves that the govt is the one thing that can keep safe. People are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, but they have been infantilized for so long by this same govt, they have forgotten how. And you already know it isn't going to get any better any time soon with govt growing bigger everyday.
Sabrina at April 22, 2010 6:02 AM
Your public schools exist to train people to depend on authority. The wonder is not the sheep, it is that we still have people who will take a stand.
MarkD at April 22, 2010 6:49 AM
"Your public schools exist to train people to depend on authority. The wonder is not the sheep, it is that we still have people who will take a stand."
I'm with dis guy!
Also, they no longer teach valuable disciplines in schools anymore - nor do they demand or expect our youth to excel.
The people who head up the school systems along with our government have a common purpose (whether conscious or not): An ignorant and non-self reliant populous is a controllable populous. Because an educated populous will not only ask the right questions but demand the correct answers in return. Something no nanny state can have going on while they loot the Treasury.
Feebie at April 22, 2010 9:26 AM
And, along with what MarkD and Feebie said, no one teaches critical thinking skills anymore.
Seriously, I have pretty much given up trying to have a rational argument with most people, because they just get a sound bite from somewhere and run with it instead of making an effort to really THINK about it and see if it makes any sense.
I weep for the future. I really do.
Ann at April 22, 2010 3:18 PM
... the kicker is that the same people who are willing to trust the government with their health care are constantly ragging on "big, heartless corporations".
Not realizing that most corporations are far more sensitive to public opinion than entrenched government monopolies.
Ben-David at April 22, 2010 3:52 PM
Computer geek that I am, I made a flow chart for the government budget process: http://twitpic.com/1i7jdr
Dwatney at April 24, 2010 5:54 PM
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