There’s a Government Hall of Fame – But Government Is AWFUL at Everything

Published September 22, 2021

Barely-there President Joe Biden is arguing that the federal government should spend over $6 trillion next year.   A more than 20% increase over the titanic $4.8 trillion spent this year. 

But that ain’t nearly enough for government’s crony-self-dealers.  They are now debating $5.4 trillion of additional spending on an endless array of fake “infrastructure” slush funds

The only actual argument to be made against this idiocy – is almost never made anywhere by anyone.  And that is: Government is AWFUL at everything.  Having them try to do anything at all ain’t very bright.  Having them try to do…everything – is really very stupid.   

This job requires me to consume mass quantities of political media.  Which I am sure is penance for major sins committed in this or a prior life. 

Of course, most media outlets offer a broad range of perspectives  – from hard-Left to very-hard-Left.  So they are always waving their Big Government pompoms – and less politely mass-reprising the role of Oliver Twist.

But even on the non-Left outlets, those offering (often token) opposition to the endlessly increasing avalanche of government cash?  Do so in the mildest, meekest and weakest of ways.

Arguing that we can’t afford it clearly doesn’t resonate.  We’re almost $30 trillion in debt.  Almost no one cares.  In the very near future, the debt ceiling must be yet again raised.  The last time a small contingent of sane members of Congress tried to make the debt ceiling raise an issue – rather than a perfunctory afterthought?  They were roundly attacked by everyone – including lots of Republicans.

Arguing against the tax increases alleged to offset the spending clearly doesn’t work either.  The Left’s “tax the rich” idiocy has made us the most tax-the-rich country on the planet.  The top 1% – already pay 40% of the taxes.  How much thinner do you want to shave the pointy end of our economy’s upside-down pyramid?  Besides which, all the REALLY rich bribe government to exempt them from the increasingly absurd “tax the rich” rates.           

Very few even argue the private sector can do things better than government – which is inching towards the never-used “government is awful” argument.  And they do so as a throwaway line – rather than mining the Mariana Trench-esque vein of government idiocy. 

If non-Left media types started relentlessly saying government sucks – and listing government’s endless misfires?  Those arguing for more government would begin to look more and more and more ridiculous.  Quite rapidly, all those not arguing for a trillion-direction rollback of government would begin to look more and more and more ridiculous.

Well, maybe.  It may already be too late.  In which case – what the heck do we have to lose?  Let it fly.

Government dangles promise after promise after promise – that they never, never deliver.

On health insurance….

Obama – If You Like Your Healthcare Montage

Obama Promises to Lower Health Insurance Premiums by $2,500 Per Year

Except….

Millions Have Lost Private Insurance Under Obamacare

Obamacare Has Doubled the Cost of Individual Health Insurance

Obama’s ‘Keep Your Plan’ Promise Labeled ‘Lie of the Year’

Government is awful on health care in totality.  You want government-only medicine?  Medicare-for-All, perhaps?  Well, we’ve had government-only medicine for almost two hundred years – it’s called the Veterans Administration (VA).  How’s that been going?

VA History and Failures

307,000 Vets May Have Died Awaiting VA Care

VA Bonuses Were Incentive to Hide Wait Times

Veterans’ Group Charges VA With Failure to Fix Health Care System

Speaking of Medicare – and its bastard stepchild Medicaid.  And while we’re at it – our government retirement program Social Security….

Social Security & Medicare Shortfalls Exceed $100 Trillion Over 30 Years

More Physicians No Longer Seeing Medicare/Medicaid Patients:

“A combination of constant battles over reimbursement rates, red tape and payment below what services actually cost has simmered for a long time.  Medicare now faces the same tell-tale signs of trouble as Medicaid, the low-income health program.  One-third of primary care doctors won’t take new patients on Medicaid.”

And as the government-only VA has demonstrated for two centuries….

Medicare for All: Bad for Doctors and Patients Alike

How about government picking and choosing which energy sources we can use…?

Even Michael Moore Now Knows: ‘Green Energy’ – Is Neither Green Nor Energy

We Shouldn’t Be Surprised Renewables Make Energy Expensive Since That’s Always Been The Greens’ Goal

The Dark Side of Renewable Energy: Negative Impacts of Renewables on the Environment

The ‘Green Energy’ Lobby is About Cronyism – Not Polar Bears

Biden’s Infrastructure Bill: Green Handouts for the Politically Connected

Government can’t do ANYTHING.  Those of you still rooting for that massive “infrastructure” spending…?

Federal ‘Infrastructure’? State-Local Government and Crony Bail Outs and Slush Funds

Obama Admitted $787 Billion Stimulus Was Utter Failure – ‘There Were No Shovel Ready Jobs’

And of course – government awfulness in general….

50 Examples of Government Waste

Bizarre Examples of Wasteful Government Spending

The Poison of Government Corruption and Abuse of Power

So when government promises this….

Infrastructure Framework Has $65 Billion for Universal Broadband

Oh look – it’s government-only Broadband-for-All…. 

Meanwhile, in Ways and Means:

“House Ways and Means Committee Democrats tucked in a proposed tax credit for local governments that run their own broadband networks, which Democrats say are better attuned to local needs. Republicans and the telecom industry broadly oppose municipal broadband projects, complaining local governments lack the scale and expertise for network building.”

Oh look – Republicans timidly saying “local governments lack the scale and expertise for network building.”  That’s an inch in the direction of “government is AWFUL at everything.”…

Broadband Boondoggles:

“For decades, local governments have made promises of faster and cheaper broadband networks. Unfortunately, these municipal networks often don’t deliver or fail, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Explore the map to learn about the massive debt, waste and broken promises left behind by these failed government networks.”

Because government is AWFUL at everything.

And oh look – this government trip is totally unnecessary

“(A)ccording to the Federal Communications Commission, 99.99% of the U.S. population has access to one or more internet service providers offering cable, DSL, fiber, fixed wireless, satellite or another type of internet service….”

We’re already there.  Thanks exclusively to the private sector – and not at all to government. 

We’ll end this ceaseless cavalcade of soul-crushing government idiocy – with this….

Government Hall of Fame Inductees to Be Unveiled Next Week:

“Dr. Anthony Fauci. Colin Powell. Madeleine Albright….

“These are just a few of the luminaries who have been inducted into the Government Hall of Fame in the two years since Government Executive created the prestigious honor.

“Now we’re about to unveil this year’s class, along with the visionaries, directors, pathfinders, partners and defenders whose outstanding achievements have made them the winners of this year’s Theodore Roosevelt Government Leadership Awards.”

And no, most unfortunately – that isn’t the Babylon Bee

PHOTO: Bernie Sanders 2016. PHOTO BY: Shelly Prevost, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0).