The Inefficiency Problem of Bloated Government

Daniel Henninger of the WSJ has an excellent piece that is listed in the links this morning. His main point is that Democrats should start to worry because in electing Obama, people thought they were entering a new age of smarter, more efficient government. Instead, what we have is the same old big, bloated, inefficient government we’ve had for generations.

Henninger writes:   

"In a world defined by nearly 100,000 iPhone apps, a world of seemingly limitless, self-defined choice, the Democrats are pushing the biggest, fattest, one-size-fits all legislation since 1965. And they brag this will complete the dream Franklin D. Roosevelt had in 1939….

The culture still believes the U.S. has a hipster for president. But the Obama health-care bill, and maybe this whole administration, is starting to look totally out of sync with the new zeitgeist, the spirit of the age… Everything about the health-care exercise is looking very old hat…

People thought something small, agile and smart was coming to government, but so far it's turning out to be just big-box politics."

He makes a very valid point. It reminded me of this video clip of Newt Gingrich talking about the inefficiencies of bloated government:

I think there is a theme here that big government is inherently inefficient, and that does not comport with the age in which we live. Potentially, there could be electoral success for those who explain this to the voters and offer some meaningful reforms.

Comments

[J.R.]

Kevin -

Obama offered "meaningful reforms," and yet we criticize him to no end (granted, there's certainly reasons for those criticisms). Most legislators go to Washington to effect change, but they come out affected by it's old boy culture.

The system is certainly broken and it will require THE PEOPLE to make reform happen, not elected officials. We, as voters, have brought this on ourselves.

The only viable option for true reform is to have a third or fourth party option (beyond independent).

[Elaine]

Didn't our founders predict the mess we are in? Has their experiment of self government come to end because the people are not truly educated, are apathetic and complacent about protecting freedom, are confused about what is right and wrong, and are generally persuaded by the most charismatic snakeoil salesman?

Ask the young people if they would rather be responsible for themselves or believe government should take care of them. I'd venture a guess and say the latter.