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Why do I feel that I am in the tiny minority of liking government? When it is well thought out and held in respect, government is a positive entity. It is how we govern ourselves into a manageable society. We can not all be our own security, fire fighter, medic, regulator and educator. Abraham Lincoln summed it up eloquently when he said that government is for those actions that can’t be done by the individual. I think that former President Reagan did our nation a huge disservice when he said that “government isn’t the solution, it’s the problem”. Government is only the problem when the elected officials collude to make it the problem by doing precisely what the tea party republicans are doing right now; refusing to reopen our government and bringing our government to the precipice of default. Apparently the 80 or so conservative republicans are very comfortable with the idea of defaulting if only to make a point in upholding their ideologies and principles.
If these republicans had won the election in 2012, I would understand their justification or if the ultra conservative Supreme Court had deemed the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, then I would understand their behavior but none of these things had happened. The Republican Party is ready to throw our economy and the world’s economy into the air and let the pieces fall where they may because they lost, they do not want to allow most Americans the choice to buy affordable health care insurance on their own if they must without fear of being denied for having preexisting conditions or being dropped because the limits were surpassed.
I know that I had promised not to write about my political inclinations on this my personal blog but I am really upset by the impasse we find ourselves at and playing chicken with other people’s lives and livelihood is morally wrong and morally contemptible. I am sincerely hoping that this is the last time that I will feel compelled to write about my distress over the political reality of my country.
laurieanichols 
Government isn’t the problem – politicians are.
The divisiveness in American politics is horrendous, particularly in a society which prides itself on inclusiveness.
You hit the nail on its head. We used to strive to be an inclusive society but the Republican Party morphed into a party that pits them against the “other” and the “other” category grows larger and larger: the poor, the undocumented workers, homosexuals, atheists, climate change believers, evolution believers, liberals, minorities, a rather long list. It makes me very sad. What would Jesus say? Is what often pops into my head when I think of all of the anger against the “others”.
We’re having a similar problem with our current government, demonising anyone who is a drain on society.
I saw the authoress J.K Rowlings on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and I was so impressed with her when she said that she chose to stay in the U.K even though the tax rates were high because she felt the responsibility of giving back. There are so many reasons for poverty and the vast majority of them have nothing to do with laziness.