Wednesday, September 15, 2010

What Americans Are Proud Of

From Robert Reich's column yesterday about the Republicans threatening to shut down government again if they don't get more tea and crumpets or whatever it is they're on about:

Americans may be cynical about government but we’re proud of our system of governance. And we don’t want it to be used as a political pawn in partisan power games. That’s what Republicans forget time and again. They dislike government so much they don’t see the difference between government as a bureaucracy and democratic governance as a cherished system.

The Republican Threat to Shut Down the Federal Government

As I've observed before, assertions about what the American people believe or want is more likely to be about what the person making the assertion believes or wants. It seems to be true here, too.

Now, that paragraph I quoted certainly describes my attitude. That's not the point here. The point is, what do most Americans really think? It sure is funny how not just Republicans, but Democrats lately, seem to be able to get away with ignoring or outright insulting the idea that the people who run our government do it on our behalf, not for the purpose of enriching themselves or getting re-elected.

Yet that's where we are.

It's hard to believe that so many of us respect the idea of our government when the people we elect seem to have no concept of the idea.

If anyone can provide proof that this is the attitude of the American people, it would sure be appreciated.


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