The same people now screaming that government isn't doing enough in the gulf were screaming the government was doing too much months ago.
That's something you've heard President Obama and his defenders, dwindling as they are, say numerously since the Gulf crisis began. Of course, the only people that want no role for government at all are anarchists and while they also criticize Obama that's usually only at G20 meetings.
Until the end of April 2010, the Obama administration was one government expansion after another. We now own AIG, two car companies, Citigroup, and both Fannie and Freddie. Obamacare and financial reform would also be massive expansions of government. If cap and trade passed, that would be yet another expansion of government. There are also those proposals that have no hope of passing like net neutrality that also expand the role of government.
Then, in April, the illegal immigration debate began and president Obama said he can't secure the borders without comprehensive immigration reform. Then there was an oil spill and government was downright impotent. The same government that wanted to expand its powers seemingly everywhere was doing nothing in the two areas that the public wanted action most.
Like I said earlier, only anarchists want no role for government. Everyone else believes that there's some role for government. That's been the debate throughout the Obama presidency. That was at the heart of the health care debate. How much role in health care should the government have?
Now, the same people criticizing Obama earlier for expanding government power are demanding more government action in immigration and the spill. Meanwhile, all the same that claimed the government needed to do more to hold down health care costs and hold banks accountable are saying that government isn't all powerful to seal the border and stop an oil spill.
What we have is yet another debate on the role of government. That will be the legacy of the Obama administration, properly defining the role of government.
Do you really think Net Neutrality has no hope? It would be a shame if Comcast could start limiting bandwidth to Hulu and Netflix to protect its cable TV business or for AT&T to limit access to Skype.
ReplyDeleteI think most of Obama's agenda is dead and that has no hope of passing. I could be wrong however.
ReplyDeleteI also think you are simplifying net neutrality just as those that demonize the measure also simplify it.