I Wish I Had a Government

I’m so jealous of countries that have governments. How cool would that be?

Many years ago, the United States had a government that did impressive things such as winning wars, spreading democracy, and solving huge social issues. In time, it turned into a government that was good at getting blown and tattling. Then we had a government that was too incompetent to do even that. Now we no longer have a functioning government of any kind. The good news is that we seem to have reached a plateau.

Recently our so-called Speaker of the House was meeting with the Syrian government while our so-called Vice President was on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show reminding the world that the so-called Speaker of the House doesn’t speak for the United States in foreign policy. Foreign policy is the job of the so-called President who doesn’t speak to governments that don’t already agree with him.

Today I read that the Defense Department is releasing a report that there was no link between al-Qaeda and Iraq, at the same time that so-called Vice President Cheney was repeating his mantra that there was indeed a link. My tax dollars paid for all of that. I don’t think I got my money’s worth.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are poised for a big win during the next election based on their excellent track record of doing nothing for years. Doing nothing might not sound like a good strategy to you, but if you compare it to what happens when the government actually does something, you can make an argument.

A good test of whether you have a government is this: Can your country do anything big and important? For example, could the United States start a new war, or end an existing one, or change its dependence on foreign oil, or provide health care to all citizens? Apparently not.

At this point, the so-called government does little more than provide content for news channels and blogs. I think they should do more. For example, I’d like to see Congressmen and Congresswomen run across a field of rakes every morning to get to work. For me, it would only take a few rakes in the face per day to make me feel as if my tax dollars weren’t a complete waste.

Is that too much to ask?

Comments

[coolpc]

Buyers of guns must take gun-safety courses

[coefficientnoisereduction]

I just don't have much to say right now, but I guess it doesn't bother me. Basically nothing seems worth thinking about. Nothing notable happening these days. Shrug. Not that it matters. My mind is like a void. I've basically been doing nothing , not that it matters. More or less nothing going on. I guess it doesn't bother me. Not much on my mind.

[2007 audi auto detroit show]

I've just been letting everything wash over me. I've pretty much been doing nothing. I've just been sitting around not getting anything done.

[beer pong professional table]

People should be allowed to go naked in certain recreational areas only

[formula boat used for sale]

Not much on my mind right now. Today was a complete loss. So it goes. I've just been sitting around waiting for something to happen. I've basically been doing nothing , but I guess it doesn't bother me.

[cigar v cutter]

Cousin dating is, is not okay

[Jean Gauthier]

A funny one.

Let me tell my story.

I was sitting at the back of a new york taxi cab. It doesn't take long for the driver to notice that I was a(french) canadian.

Then, from nowhere he told me
-"I forgive you".

I said
-"For what?"

He replied
-"For Brian Adams"

I though "what the fuck, if only he have said Celine Dion I could have understood his point".

Then I said:
-"I don't forgive you"

He said
-"For what?" with a suspicious look.

I said:
-"For Georges Bush"

[obscurifer]

You forgot to add that the rake-running would have to be broadcast on CSPAN.

[bubba]

To pick a nit, I think the "health care" complaints are rather bogus. We spend twice as much of our GDP (16%) as any European government (typically 8%) and as a result, provide a much higher quality of care and much higher discovery of new medicines. I recently spent some unplanned time in one of the top medical facilities in the world (located just by chance in the US) and it had a large number (majority) of patients who were on public assistance, for both daily living and medical expenses. This top hospital even had professionals dedicated to helping patients maximize their public benefits.

None of these patients were asked what they could afford to pay before receiving the life-saving treatments they needed.

Are there more people in the US who "lack health insurance" than in Europe, because they have the choice to spend their money on bling instead of taxes? Sure. Are they denied life-saving treatment as a result? No.

[Wind Energy Sucks]

I didn't read much here, but I have to respond to one thing:

"Where are all of these wind energy production plants? My state doesn't have any, we are still primarily run on coal energy and are unlikely to change since we don't exactly have the cash to invest in wind energy."

Frankly, wind energy sucks. The only reason anyone builds wind mills is to make nature nuts happy. They are unreliable and produce very little energy, especially for the cost and the space they take up. Coal energy does not suck. But it's dirty. If you want clean and efficient, you want nuclear. And preferably a big hole in the ground somewhere to put the waste it does make. But what with the strife in the middle east, we should have an abundance of big holes in the ground in a couple years pre-made for us anyway, so it's all good.

[Alyen]

Theres actually many parts to the government. The huge lumbering ineffective part that wastes most of our tax dollars is the federal government.
The part of the government that actually works is the local government. In most parts of the country local governments keep the streets repaired, the public parks open, the fire department ready to put out fires, and the police forces ready to bust the bad guys.

[bob]

There is only 1 solution to this dilema ...

IT'S TIME TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD

Then there is no problem with "my goverment sucks" or "The govt is wasting my money" because I am the goverment and my ivory butt scratcher is more important than universal health care.

[SlowMovingTarget]

We have a government, but it is a government of the professional politicians, for the corporations, by the media. Can this government get important things done (like fixing Social Security)? No. But just watch how fast the legislation comes through for things like extending copyright (looking forward to that entry).

Laws like the DMCA are written by lobbyists and handed to their representative for nearly immediate passage, in spite of the fact that they've proven to be very bad law.

[XX EE]

Scott, this post was absolutely brilliant and dead on. What an accurate yet funny summation of the benighted Bush administration and the Dems who enable it. However, you didn't go far enough when you said, "For example, I’d like to see Congressmen and Congresswomen run across a field of rakes every morning to get to work. For me, it would only take a few rakes in the face per day to make me feel as if my tax dollars weren’t a complete waste." [LOL!!] I'd also like to see Bush, Rove, Cheney, Rice, Gonzoles, and the rest of them run across the field of rakes, too -- on their way to and from work (if you can call what they do work). Maybe I wouldn't get my taxes' worth from it, but I'd at least feel a little better about seeing them get a little restitution for how badly they've screwed the country, the Constitution, and the world at large.

[Steve Styrus]

One technicality you got wrong Scott, your President does occasionally talk to Governments that don't agree with him. About a week ago he met with Helen Clark (Prime Minister of NZ) and they had a nice lunch together. The catch was, she wasn't allowed to talk about anything that they disagreed on such as Iraq/Iran, Nuclear Weapons, or Free Trade deals.

So he said "thanks for sending your SAS to Afghanistan", and she said "Thanks for lunch" and that was pretty much that. I think she also returned the invite, but he was a bit cagey, probably he doesn't know where New Zealand is yet.

[Carl_Spackler]

The only way to fix our system of government is to remove the ability of a person to be a career politician.

If we get teachers, businessmen, etc to server one term a piece in our federal government we'd find out two major points.

1) Our country has too many people riding the gravy train of our federal government for work.

2) Most people get into politics because of it's financial benefits, not because they truly want to help.

[The Dude]

To Rollthebones:

Wow, you have actually fallen for the propaganda launched by the hard line conservatives, try thinking for yourself for a change.

"Oil dependence? Have you not noticed the huge increase in wind energy production in the past 5 years? Didn't you know that most of the big auto makers already have hydrogen engines designed and ready for production? "

Where are all of these wind energy production plants? My state doesn't have any, we are still primarily run on coal energy and are unlikely to change since we don't exactly have the cash to invest in wind energy.

I will agree that most of the big auto makers have hydrogen engines designed, but they are no where near production ready. For one thing there is no infrastructure to support hydrogen cars at the moment, you can't exactly produce a car that can't be fueled. Not to mention the fact that even if they were to produce the cars they would be about as expensive as high end luxury cars at the moment so the average consumer couldn't afford one. So how exactly does this lower our dependence on oil?

"There is no need for the government to intervene because free people in our free society will move the nation away from oil dependence in due time."

Again unless our government does something to finance the infrastructure there is no way anything is going to happen. Most states don't take in near enough money to build the infrastucture on their own and the states don't have the borrowing power of the federal government.

"As for the war, it isn't our fault that terrorists are slaughtering innocent civilians and children. But look at it this way: almost every Democrat-voting stronghold in this country is rife with crime and violence. Baltimore, Minneapolis, Chicago, DC, Detroit--the list goes on. We can't even stop the bloodshed in our own urban communities, so what makes you think we can stop it in Iraq?

As long as a terrorist is alive to target civilians or gangbangers are free to roam the streets to do drive-by shootings nothing will change."

Way to pick the most crime-riden metropolises that you could find as representative of "Democrat-voting strongholds", what about the entire state of West Virginia, we are a so-called Blue State with 2 Dem Senators, and 2/3 Dem Representatives, but we have some of the lowest crime in the nation. Of course I do agree that there is little to no way that the US will be able to stop the violence in Iraq, most of it stems from centuries of religious contention that we have little to no understanding of. Do you have a proposal as to how to stop all gang violence? It's not like the police aren't trying, but there is only so much they can do when the federal, state and local governments are making cuts to the number of officers on the streets, judges in the courts, etc.

"And health care? Take a look at the economy of Germany to see what a drag socialized medicine is on an economy. Or take a look at England and see how dentists are moving into private practice--and patients are following--because the quality of care under socialized medicine is so poor.

Seriously, read up on healthcare in Europe. See how much it costs the economy and see what the quality is like. The last thing the US should do is mandate socialized medicine."

What about the economy of Canada? They have universal healthcare and their economy isn't that bad off. Yes Universal Healthcare can be a major burden on society, but wouldn't it be easier for the poor and homeless to find jobs and be gainfully employed if they were healthy? A fair number of the homeless have serious mental disorders (Schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, etc) and they can't afford the medications (a 30 day supply of some of those meds can run $500-800), if they had access to the meds they would be able to remain employed and in control of themselves, how would that not benefit society as a whole?

"The true fact of the matter is that the elderly are the ones driving the cost of healthcare. Yet, most left-wingers demand that the cost of healthcare be born equally by all. So what do we get? We get a situation where the youth are subsidizing the elderly. Instead of just supporting themselves, the youth must support themselves and an old geezer."

Yes longer life spans translates into higher healthcare costs, but whatever happened to taking care of our elderly, shouldn't those of us who are gainfully employed help out those citizens on a fixed income? Why is that such a tough pill to swallow. I bet you change your tune when you hit 70/80/90 years of age and can't work any longer.

"My state a couple of years ago considered universal health insurance. It was estimated that it would cost every person $350 per month regardless of age. It was also reported that an 18-year-old male could currently purchase health insurance for a cost of $80 per month. Yet under the left-wing universal plans the 18-year-old would need to pay 3-1/2 times more for insurance."

Again yes the elderly having higher healthcare costs, that's why the health insurance is cheaper for someone in the prime of their life the likelihood of them getting sick or injured is much lower. But does that mean we should abandone our elderly? What happened to our society that getting old is seen as a disease in itself? Look at the Japanese and Chinese, they cherish their elderly and gladly support them because they are a source of great wisdom and life experience.

"Yes, we need universal healthcare so we can keep those bed-ridden 80-year-olds with Parkinson's Disease alive longer so they can continue to collect Social Security...and stare blankly at the ceiling. Not!"

And this is why doctor assisted suicide shouldn't be illegal, as long as the patient is the one who wants it, to avoid situations like this.

Your statements here remind me of a classic Sliders episode where all of the people over 30 or 40 were essentially executed by the government because they weren't young enough to remain useful to society. I think it was also a Twilight Zone episode, either way there was a lesson to be learned and you apparently never learned it.

[Ashwin R J]

Dear rollthebones,

Ur post made me think for a while ! All that was missing is a "Heil Hitler" at the end. I think half the thinks in your post was contradictory to th truth.

1.) "Oil dependence? Have you not noticed the huge increase in wind energy production in the past 5 years? Didn't you know that most of the big auto makers already have hydrogen engines designed and ready for production? "

Really...thats News to me , can you tell me by what percentage of total power consumption this wind energy has increased to in the past 5 yrs. Also as for the Hydrogen engines, what are the carmakers then waiting for ? Maybe the rising oil prices has something to do with it....

2.) "almost every Democrat-voting stronghold in this country is rife with crime and violence"

Well actually they are also opressed, poverty ridden, and marginalised who see through people like george bush and his cronies. Maybe we should have more executions like texas and our country will be crime free....

3.) "Yes, we need universal healthcare so we can keep those bed-ridden 80-year-olds with Parkinson's Disease alive longer so they can continue to collect Social Security...and stare blankly at the ceiling. Not!"

yah and exterminate the jews....Heil Hitler !

[Alexandra]

I had a 6th-great-grandfather who fought in the American Revolution and he'd be spinning in his grave. He was an Adams and 8th cousin once removed of John Adams.

When you have a president that allegedly said that the Constitution is a "g**d***ed piece of paper" and his actions indicate that that is his opinion of the Constitution, that's a good sign this country is getting the hose.

[Neil (Perth, Western Australia... go find it on a map!)]

Scott

OK - lemme get this over with: love your work.

Next: here in Australia, it is compulsory to vote in state and federal elections - you get fined if you don't participate. Really. I think we may be the only authentic democracy in the world that works this way.

While I'd love to tell you it makes our politicians smarter and better (it doesn't), there is one thing it does make them: perpetually wary of the people who voted them in. In this land, a rainy election day isn't enough to keep the incumbent in power.

Now if only we could make them scared of us, instead of just wary... hang on, isn't that why your constitution gives you the right to arm bears? (Looks like it didn't have the desired result... ouch.)

[fij]

Ya should have voted. Would you delegate your restaurant hiring to complete strangers? Then why the employees your taxes are paying?
Oh yeah, I reckon it's pretty weak to throw stones at evolution on the basis it fails your sniff test. It's simply a theory, a particularly elegant and powerful one, which explains the vast amount of diversity in the living world as well as the vast amount of similarities in biological systems shared by species, and it does it using only physics and chemistry. Beat that.

[Jim]

I'll go with Jon Stewart on this one. "Our country might not be too good at nation building but we're still pretty top notch nation unbuilders.

[rollthebones]

Given the general incompetence and inefficiency of government, as you seem to agree with, I don't think I'd want the government to do anything.

You see, in a free society the government doesn't mandate things. Free people operating in a free society with a free economy do.

The government doesn't say: Scott Adams, go work in a coal mine.

Oil dependence? Have you not noticed the huge increase in wind energy production in the past 5 years? Didn't you know that most of the big auto makers already have hydrogen engines designed and ready for production?

There is no need for the government to intervene because free people in our free society will move the nation away from oil dependence in due time.

As for the war, it isn't our fault that terrorists are slaughtering innocent civilians and children. But look at it this way: almost every Democrat-voting stronghold in this country is rife with crime and violence. Baltimore, Minneapolis, Chicago, DC, Detroit--the list goes on. We can't even stop the bloodshed in our own urban communities, so what makes you think we can stop it in Iraq?

As long as a terrorist is alive to target civilians or gangbangers are free to roam the streets to do drive-by shootings nothing will change.

And health care? Take a look at the economy of Germany to see what a drag socialized medicine is on an economy. Or take a look at England and see how dentists are moving into private practice--and patients are following--because the quality of care under socialized medicine is so poor.

Seriously, read up on healthcare in Europe. See how much it costs the economy and see what the quality is like. The last thing the US should do is mandate socialized medicine.

The true fact of the matter is that the elderly are the ones driving the cost of healthcare. Yet, most left-wingers demand that the cost of healthcare be born equally by all. So what do we get? We get a situation where the youth are subsidizing the elderly. Instead of just supporting themselves, the youth must support themselves and an old geezer.

My state a couple of years ago considered universal health insurance. It was estimated that it would cost every person $350 per month regardless of age. It was also reported that an 18-year-old male could currently purchase health insurance for a cost of $80 per month. Yet under the left-wing universal plans the 18-year-old would need to pay 3-1/2 times more for insurance.

Yes, we need universal healthcare so we can keep those bed-ridden 80-year-olds with Parkinson's Disease alive longer so they can continue to collect Social Security...and stare blankly at the ceiling. Not!

[Jim Robertson]

Politicians crave power, and most of them genuinely believe that if they have it they can use it to do something to improve the human condition. But the exercise of political power very seldom produces the desired results, and invariably does produce many unintended consequences. A wise leader does as little as possible but conserves his energies to react to the unexpected. It can be difficult to hold this line in the face of public demands to "do something". But the American constitution, with its institionalised stalemate, provides a generally benign environment for this. It's a form of Brownian Motion in which the illusion of activity generates employment for thousands of otherwise unemployable lawyers. On the rare occasions that all the particles decide to move in the same direction, such as Iraq, the results are not good.

[J.Doe]

Minority Theory
++++++++++++++++

The people who own/control the Banking and News Media will control the government. Through government control they will siphon the wealth of the nation until a revolution turns the tide to re-establish equality in the society.

Never let minority communities dominate your banks and the press!