Ronald lives on

"In this present crisis, the government is not the solution to our problem. The government is the problem."

This statement, by Ronald Reagan, lives on today and is one of those sloganish statements used over and over again to avoid addressing the issues that would make the government, and the country, better.

Again, from a French point of view, I cannot help screaming how ignorant people are, and how paradoxical their stances are, when they say on TV or write in the press about the evils of big government.
Every day, I insist, every single day, you hear or read someone equating big government to Communism. Again, this morning, a reader of The Oklahoman writes: "They're slowly but surely taking over in the pretext of liberalism (communism). We have a presidential candidate who's preaching the old communist axiom "We are going to take from the haves and give to the have nots." He goes on by quoting Norman Matoon Thomas, a six-time candidate for president from the Socialist Party of America who said: "The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism,' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." This reader also recommends reading The Communist Manifesto before casting one's ballot.

Beware, Communism is still creeping!

Because these people are afraid of big government, they reject any kind of regulation of the free market.
When this deregulation results is the major crisis happening today, they do not regret. To the following question: "In your time in Congress, you have supported deregulation of the economy. Do you regret that now?" John McCain has answered: "No, I think deregulation has probably helped the economic growth of this country."
This interview took place two days ago, between the bailouts of major Wall Street corporations and the Secretary of the Treasury asking Congress for a $700 billion check for more bailouts.

Now, when I am really pissed off at hearing or reading this kind of stuff, I scream how stupid people are. But that is probably unfair. The common people do not know what they are talking about, just like I do not know what I am talking about when I start talking about the economy.
People just know what they are being told. If you keep telling them the US is the greatest country on earth, with the greatest economy, a country where everything is possible, where anybody can live the American Dream, why wouldn't they believe that? When the lies are flattering, you don't question them.

What is truly fascinating is that any Conservative who would read this blog -- if there are some, please leave a comment -- would call me a dangerous Communist.
There is no middle of the road in what I hear or read about small and big government. What they are truly talking about is no government and dictatorship.

When you tell them that a bigger government could provide for free health care for everybody, they don't say "Oh great! Let's have that." No, their reaction is "Yeah, but in Canada and in France, where you have universal health care, you wait for six months to see your doctor, and you don't find your medicine when you need it."

This is the common belief. And apart from when I write a letter to a newspaper, I never read or hear anywhere that this is simply not true.
Just in case a Conservative reads this, let me repeat it: I live in France, and when I need to see my doctor, I call him and I see him before the day is over. After the consultation, I give him 21 euros (about $15 today) which is reimbursed to me within two weeks. I then go to the pharmacy. They give me my medicine, and I give them a few cents. The first time my American wife went to the pharmacy for her and her daughter's asthma and allergy medicine, she expected to pay $150. Instead, she was asked for 12 cents.
By the way, for all that, I pay less than $100 a month and that covers my wife and my three children.
If that is big government, if that is Stalinism, I say Yeah!!!

I want to see people on Fox News tell that story. I want to go on Fox News and tell that story! Fox News, call me if you dare!

The most fascinating, of course, is that people say and write this nonsense, and then they act in very paradoxical ways.

When Hurricane Ike was about to strike the coast of Texas, people were asked to leave their homes because they were in danger.
40% of the residents of under-sea-level Galveston Island, which was about to be completely devastated, decided to ignore the authorities and stayed. After Ike has struck, billions of dollars of federal money are being spent to rescue and rebuild.

Nobody would criticize the government for doing that. Nobody with a sane mind would say "Let the evil government out of this. People and business are going to take care of themselves!"

Well, the health care in this country is under the destructive action of Hurricane Private Insurance Corporation. Many more people are in danger because of lack of health care than because of hurricanes. So the government needs to act on it as it acts -- or should act -- after hurricanes.

I think the government is the problem when it does not do anything for the governed.
You the people have asked enough what you could do for your country. It might be time again to ask what the country can do for you.

A TV commentator brilliantly summed it up last night: if you believe the government is the problem, don't run for government.