Commentary: Why be afraid of government? (Don't fear the Reaper. . . )

CNN ^ | July 27, 2009 | Julian E. Zelizer

[rightwingintelligentsia]

PRINCETON, New Jersey (CNN) -- Health care reform has gotten off track. The president's news conference fell flat. Polls show growing unease with the proposals currently in play. And Congress will not meet the deadline that President Obama imposed.

The status quo, as the president correctly explained to reporters, is not sustainable. Our health care system is not working. Millions of people lack insurance, costs are out of control, businesses and workers are struggling to keep up with premiums, and there are tremendous inefficiencies plaguing many parts of the system.

Conditions will only become worse in coming years. Our health care system brings to mind the economist Herbert Stein's famous maxim: "When something can't go on forever, it will stop."

When Congress returns in September, Obama will only be able to revitalize the prospects for health care reform if he offers Americans a stronger argument about what government can do to improve this situation.

After years of being in the opposition, Democrats are still scared about defending the value of government. Their political nerves have been exacerbated by polls showing the public is growing increasingly concerned about the size of government spending. This reticence about government, in the aftermath of the Democrats' dramatic 2008 election victory, has been one of the most striking aspects of the administration's rhetoric in the past few months.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Coming soon:

[wastedyears]

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Mine works OK.

[3niner]

Why be afraid of government?

It's sensible to be "afraid" (or at least cautious) of anything that can kill you.

[mware]

M-O-O-N, that spells Obama health care

[voicereason]

Remember the movie "John Q." with Denzel Washington. Denzel played a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. Therefore, he decides to take a hospital full of patients hostage until the hospital puts his son's name on the recipient's list. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Q)

COMING SOON TO A HOSPITAL NEAR YOU....

[government is the beast]

This is why you should always fear your government, no matter where or what kind of government it is.

http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/20TH.HTM