What is it about government that we want so much of it?
Ask any Arlington citizen whether government is good or bad, and you’re more than likely to get a positive response. The person might even look at you with a look that questions what planet you’re from. It’s not likely they know what America’s Founding Fathers’ views on government were, however.
In a recent column, Dr. Walter Williams, economics professor and former head of the economics department at George Mason University answers the question. Williams begins:
“Unlike today's Americans, the founders of our nation were suspicious, if not contemptuous, of government.”
For example, Williams cites this quote by Thomas Paine who said:
“We still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping at the spoil of the multitude. . . . It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without a tribute.”
Here are the two key paragraphs, though, that address the opening question of why today’s Americans love government so much:
“Today's Americans hold a different vision of government. It's one that says Congress has the right to do just about anything upon which it can secure a majority vote. Most of what Congress does fits the description of forcing one American to serve the purposes of another American. That description differs only in degree, but not in kind, from slavery."
"The bottom line: We love government because it enables us to accomplish things that if done privately would lead to arrest and imprisonment. For example, if I saw a person in need, and I took your money to help him, I'd be arrested and convicted of theft. If I get Congress to do the same thing, I am seen as compassionate.“
The words may be a bit harsh, perhaps, for a location that bills itself as a "caring" community, but they seem to apply equally well to Arlington County.