The title of this diary is the opening phrase to Professor Krugman's latest op-ed America Goes Dark. The article ends with
So the end result of the long campaign against government is that we’ve taken a disastrously wrong turn. America is now on the unlit, unpaved road to nowhere.
So sad and so true. What are we going to do?
We democrats need to point out to the rest of the nation that the Reagan revolution of less government is better government is not necessarily true. We also need to say that more government is also not necessarily true. The preamble of the US Constitution states that "We the People of the United States, in Order to . . . promote the general Welfare . . ." Too many forget that part of the role of government is to "promote the general Welfare." The federal government alone does not have this role, state, county, city and local governments all do.
As was pointed out by LaFeminista in American Amnesia, bobswern in Frank Rich Reminds Us: Remember How Quickly Voters Forget and myself in the cancer in the American heart — joblessness, we are faced with problem of voter amnesia of how policies that resulted in high unemployment. Worse voters are being offered the solution of "less" government is necessarily better government.
Less government will not turn the lights on, pave potholes, provide clean water, clear sewage, provide a better education for our children, reduce carbon emissions, provide research to better develop clean energy, provide health care for all, and on and on. We democrats need to convince voters that providing good government can solve many of these problems. Less or more government is not necessarily good government. Good government is what we democrats aspire to provide. Good government is what provides for the general Welfare.
This means proper investments. This means transparency not just in government but also in banking and industry. This means regulations. This means making judgments on how to best improve and maintain our infrastructure. Amnesia about good government is a problem. Republicans have consciously implemented a policy of GoNAFU - Government Normal, All Fucked Up. Somehow we need to make voters see this fact of life and vote for even larger majorities of democrats in Congress.