I’m From the Government and I’m Here to Help

[Joanne98]

by Eugene Robinson
The Reagan era in American politics is about to end, and we have George W. Bush to thank for its demise.

In this respect, it doesn’t matter who wins the Democratic nomination or even who wins the general election in the fall. I was going to try to write this column without using the word paradigm, but already I’ve failed: Regardless of who takes the oath of office in January, the paradigm that reigned for nearly three decades-the notion that government is useless, if not inherently evil-is no longer operative.

All three of the remaining presidential candidates propose a far more activist role for government. Even John McCain, who tells conservatives he’s a Reagan disciple, proposes far-reaching government action on issues such as climate change, high energy prices and the mortgage crisis — problems that are supposedly better left to the cruel genius of free markets, according to the old paradigm that Bush has pushed to absurd extremes.

It took a leader of the Decider’s uncommon gifts to kill the philosophy he worships. To be fair, there is one area in which he has been the most proactive of presidents, to our nation’s lasting discredit: violating the basic rights of citizens and noncitizens alike in the name of his “war on terrorism.”

Otherwise, he has interpreted Reagan’s small-government mandate as an excuse — or an instruction — to abdicate government’s most fundamental responsibilities. Anyone who wants to argue this point need simply remember the “heck of a job” our government did in handling the devastation from Hurricane Katrina.

Almost every day, there’s more evidence that 2008 is turning into one of those watershed years in American politics — 1980, say, or 1968, or even 1932. You can start with the fact that the Democrats are poised to nominate the first African-American major-party candidate for president.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/16/9005/

[iamjoy]

1. I Always Wondered Anyway

I always wondered about why the words "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" should strike fear into us.

If your house is on fire, you call the fire department. Aren't they government employees?

IF some one is breaks into your house (let's say you aren't there to use your gun and shoot the person), we call the police. Aren't they government employees?

When the police catch the person who burglarized your home, the DA prosecutes them. Aren't the people at the DAs office from the government?

That aside, I wonder how many people who claim to agree with that philosophy run to FEMA for money when their home is destroyed by a natural disaster. I wonder how many of them who are over 65 use Medicare as their only insurance.

Well, I could go on and on, but it's all been said before

[Merlot]

2. Remember the San Diego fires last year that burnt down many houses?

The repubs decided that they wanted to privatize the fire department. Although there were gov't firemen there, there were also private companies These companies had contracts, and if a house was burning down across the street but wasn't in their area, they couldn't do anything about it. These private fire "departments" are one of the reasons so many houses weren't saved.

And now the fine folks in that area are suing thee gov't because their houses burned down.

Sorry, no link, I just remember the outrage from this, and how the story didn't make it into national headlines.

[OwnedByFerrets]

3. ,,,,,

"Even John McCain, who tells conservatives he’s a Reagan disciple, proposes far-reaching government action on issues such as climate change, high energy prices and the mortgage crisis".....McCain will say anything, do anything, sell anyone down the river to be president. Why would one believe ANYTHING this man says.