Gov't Mule
Paul Krugman makes a point in today's NYT that I couldn't agree with more:
"Apologists for the administration will doubtless claim that blame for the lack of progress [after Katrina] rests not with Mr. Bush, but with the inherent inefficiency of government bureaucracies. That’s the great thing about being an antigovernment conservative: even when you fail at the task of governing, you can claim vindication for your ideology.
But bureaucracies don’t have to be this inefficient. The failure to get moving on reconstruction reflects lack of leadership at the top.” [emphasis added]
Conservatives hate big government because big government takes money from the rich and uses it to help the sick, poor, and elderly. But you can’t run on a platform of cruelty to the less fortunate and succeed in elections (usually).
So instead of talking about their REAL beef with government (money out of the pockets of the very rich), they talk about the bugbear of “big government” and decry its supposed inefficiencies and inadequacies.
Hey folks, we contracted out reconstruction in Iraq. How’s that going? We contracted out reconstruction in Louisiana. How’s that going?
Have you not seen all the reports and articles about the billions of dollars wasted or misappropriated by these no-bid contractors and their shady government contracts?
Recently the IRS announced that it is going to use private collection agencies, even though that “solution” will cost a LOT more than simply hiring more agents at the IRS.
So “big government” is clearly more efficient that the free enterprise endeavors of Iraq and Louisiana and the IRS, and those are just three examples of many.
Bush is an incompetent leader. And when his incompetence becomes impossible to ignore, he starts trying to blame the government.
But right now, he and his party ARE the government. So if things are going poorly (and they are), it’s THEIR fault, and not an intrinsic flaw of government.
Don't fall for the lie that government is useless. Incompetent governance is useless. There's a huge difference.
"Apologists for the administration will doubtless claim that blame for the lack of progress [after Katrina] rests not with Mr. Bush, but with the inherent inefficiency of government bureaucracies. That’s the great thing about being an antigovernment conservative: even when you fail at the task of governing, you can claim vindication for your ideology.
But bureaucracies don’t have to be this inefficient. The failure to get moving on reconstruction reflects lack of leadership at the top.” [emphasis added]
Conservatives hate big government because big government takes money from the rich and uses it to help the sick, poor, and elderly. But you can’t run on a platform of cruelty to the less fortunate and succeed in elections (usually).
So instead of talking about their REAL beef with government (money out of the pockets of the very rich), they talk about the bugbear of “big government” and decry its supposed inefficiencies and inadequacies.
Hey folks, we contracted out reconstruction in Iraq. How’s that going? We contracted out reconstruction in Louisiana. How’s that going?
Have you not seen all the reports and articles about the billions of dollars wasted or misappropriated by these no-bid contractors and their shady government contracts?
Recently the IRS announced that it is going to use private collection agencies, even though that “solution” will cost a LOT more than simply hiring more agents at the IRS.
So “big government” is clearly more efficient that the free enterprise endeavors of Iraq and Louisiana and the IRS, and those are just three examples of many.
Bush is an incompetent leader. And when his incompetence becomes impossible to ignore, he starts trying to blame the government.
But right now, he and his party ARE the government. So if things are going poorly (and they are), it’s THEIR fault, and not an intrinsic flaw of government.
Don't fall for the lie that government is useless. Incompetent governance is useless. There's a huge difference.
posted by Highly Agitated at
8/28/2006 11:26:00 AM
1 Comments:
I couldn't agree more! I was just watching a video on comcast about where New Orleans is now, a year later. I thought they were showing footage from last year of the devastation...no, it was just yesterday! I can't believe the ppl of this country, the way that for nearly six years now they've let the Bush administration get away with so much incompetence and shady dealings.
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Forcemaster2000, at 6:19 PM
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