Too many Americans still believe the lie that Ronald Reagan spun during his first inauguration speech (January 20, 1981) — “Government is not the solution to our problems, government is the problem.” Or for good measure, too many Americans also believe his other memorable lie (August 12, 1986) — “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’”
And when I say “Americans”, I’m not limiting that category to MAGA voters, or Freedom Caucus crazies, or even Republicans. At least half of Independents, and probably a hefty number of single-issue Democrats also believe it.
And to be honest, when our American DNA was created in the late 18th century, the general sentiment about government was that it should be limited. America’s mythology has always included a healthy distrust of too much government.
But all those Americans who have more trust in Reagan’s words than they do in the words of our Constitution, have gone beyond “healthy distrust” to “ill-minded mistrust”. (For those who are interested, the difference between mistrust and distrust is captured nicely here, and it boils down to whether the lack of trust has a valid basis.)
Although I don’t really want to get into a discussion of the merits of socialism versus capitalism, I think it’s fair to state that America’s founders had never heard of an economic system based on “socialism” (see Marx & Engels, 1848), whereas at least some of them would have read Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” (1776) by the time the Constitution was being debated and finalized.
I think Bernie Sanders has done a great service to America by calling himself a Democratic Socialist. When he juxtaposes the two systems into a single phrase, it gives people permission to believe they can simultaneously want a democratic governing system and a (somewhat) socialistic economic system. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, as we were taught to believe in the days of the USSR, which practiced a decidedly undemocratic form of socialism.
Nevertheless, some voters will never be able to stomach the thought that America might be even the tiniest bit socialistic — regardless of the fact that we embrace elements of socialism in our public safety (police and fire), our utility (gas, electricity, water), and other systems. Alas, their intransigence will simply have to pass away along with their mortal bodies.
But as the title of this diary suggests, we (the Americans who have a healthy distrust of both burdensome government and oligarchic corporations) should be teaching receptive voters why at least some of our founders (e.g. Hamilton and Madison) thought that a strong federal government was necessary to protect the people from predatory business and/or factions, as well as loose-cannon state governments.
So here is a list of undesirable exercises of power that can and should be dealt with by a strong federal government — posed in the form of a question:
- If our government doesn't restrain billionaires from bribing politicians and judges ... who will?
- If our government doesn’t ensure billionaire oligarchs are paying a higher tax rate than middle class Americans … who will?
- If our government doesn't prevent states from disenfranchising voters of color ... who will?
- If our government doesn’t criminally prosecute political parties who send out goons to polling places in order to intimidate poll workers … who will?
- If our government doesn’t protect immigrants seeking asylum from predators … who will?
- If our government doesn’t take weapons of war out of the hands of ordinary citizens … who will?
- If our government doesn’t protect pregnant women from vindictive boyfriends and governments who criminalize them for wanting an abortion … who will?
- If our government doesn’t provide incentives (both positive and negative) to individuals and businesses for reducing carbon emissions to save our planet … who will?
- If our government doesn’t intervene to provide positive and negative incentives that helps prevent bad actions by military and political leaders of both friendly and hostile foreign nations … who will?
- If our government doesn’t hold crooked politicians accountable for their crimes … who will?
- If our government doesn’t enact policies that (a) encourage growth of small businesses, (b) keep unemployment levels low, (c) keep inflation low … who will?
Where have I heard these ideas before? Oh yeah — they are based on the Biden/Harris platform for 2024.