Self-examination requires humility.That's the long way of answering. The short way is to say,Humility and arrogance are mutually exclusive sentiments.
Arrogance is the defining characteristic of those who, "for the children," undertake to bully adults.
Therefore when a liberal speaks of self-examination or sacrifice "we" should make, s/he excludes him/her self. That is true even in the issue of raising taxes.
You or I feel good when we voluntarily donate our own money to specific charities such as our churches. The liberal, OTOH, considers your taxes to be her charitable contribution, without regard to her own payment (or if possible avoidance of) taxes.
It is not exactly true that her god is government; it is more true that she wants the feeling of power of making that true of you. It is not so much that her idea of virtue is the reduction of the freedom of others as that she rejects the concept of virtue itself.
The First Amendment is essential to the protection of our right to freedom of thought and opinion. But it also precludes the government from taking action against error or, usually, even deception. Consequently trusting journalism as truth has to be strictly a "caveat emptor" situation.Journalists know that they have to be skeptical in order to avoid being gulled by people with axes to grind. But the poor dears are hurt--deeply offended--at the thought that we-the-people have the common sense to apply similar standards toward them.
Their only defense must be a posture of offended innocence, for they are selling exactly what they boast that they would not buy--trust in somebody else's word. "You can take our word, because we wouldn't take yours" is their actual message--and not exactly a reassuring one!