I'm beginning to wonder, more often than before, how the average American sees the role of its government. It seems like, with the current administration in its final days and the Obama solution on the horizon, more and more people are talking about all the stuff Obama is going to do for America. He's taking a proactive approach, and promising more than ever before.
I just don't get it, and I begin by asking this question: Do you think there will ever be a President-elect who says "We're doing OK. In fact, the problem is probably that we, the Federal Government, are doing a little too much"? I doubt it. People expect action to be taken. And politicians expect to take action. Otherwise they're just sitting around doing nothing. And doing nothing doesn't get you re-elected. It comes down to elected officials getting nervous and just taking action for the sake of taking action.
The problem is that the default answer to most all problems brought up by critics of a particular policy or administration is either "They didn't do enough" or "They didn't do the right things." Rarely do you hear some one say "They did too much." Sure, you do get "They went too far," but that's not quite the same. Often, those critics are saying that whoever was at fault merely went too far in the wrong direction. There's a difference.
I think it's just human nature, though. People want to feel important, and politicians usually have the gene that makes them want to feel more important than most. I'm not saying government should just sit on its hands whenever a problem comes up. I'm just saying that sitting on one's hands should always remain an option.
I just don't get it, and I begin by asking this question: Do you think there will ever be a President-elect who says "We're doing OK. In fact, the problem is probably that we, the Federal Government, are doing a little too much"? I doubt it. People expect action to be taken. And politicians expect to take action. Otherwise they're just sitting around doing nothing. And doing nothing doesn't get you re-elected. It comes down to elected officials getting nervous and just taking action for the sake of taking action.
The problem is that the default answer to most all problems brought up by critics of a particular policy or administration is either "They didn't do enough" or "They didn't do the right things." Rarely do you hear some one say "They did too much." Sure, you do get "They went too far," but that's not quite the same. Often, those critics are saying that whoever was at fault merely went too far in the wrong direction. There's a difference.
I think it's just human nature, though. People want to feel important, and politicians usually have the gene that makes them want to feel more important than most. I'm not saying government should just sit on its hands whenever a problem comes up. I'm just saying that sitting on one's hands should always remain an option.
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