Now it is my turn to call bullshit. Government has always been demonized, and government has always been bought and paid for by Big Business. It is true that there are people, just like there are today, who believe in its ability to work and who try to make it work. But let’s be real, corruption in government has always been a problem for all governments.

Reagan was not in fact the first politician to say the government is out to get you. Politicians in America have been saying that before there was an America. It started with the British are out to get you and then it has been a steady the other party is out to get you ever since. Reagan may have been very good at pulling his bullshit, but he didn’t invent it.

Let me tell you about my perspective. I work for a Federally Qualified Health Center. A nonprofit that provides services to the underserved population, partially funded by the Federal Government. I see the people who utilize those services every day. So while I don’t personally need those services, I have a pretty good perspective on their value, the people who do need them, and how they have provided those services with or without government funding since their inception in 1965 as Neighborhood Health Centers through today as FQHCs.

My ‘libertarian vacuum’ includes me foregoing about ½ of my earning potential not counting lost stock options to support the efforts of FQHCs and I work with many people who do the same. So there are people who do help their neighbors and work with the horridly inefficient government to do so, even in this political shithole of the Conservative Era. There are many people throughout the country who do the same.

The government has ALWAYS underfunded healthcare. What we get from the federal government doesn’t keep our doors open. We have to also get private donations, state and county funding, as well as funding from private insurance companies, which we only get if we have good performance.

So my perspective is that government does things slowly, inefficiently, and usually in half measures and good people step up to fill the gap as best as they can, despite the bungling of the government.

I have written back and forth with you out of a genuine desire to more fully understand your views and because I don’t think I know the solution to all of our problems in this country and you may have good ideas and insight. While you are essentially accusing me of being a ‘Reagan loving libertarian’, I feel your hatred of this Shithole Conservative Era has blinded you to some of the upsides of private industry, personal accountability, etc.

I live in California. Because Jerry Brown and others like him prevented any major water infrastructure projects from happening in the last 40 years, this drought has had a disproportionate impact on many farms and families throughout the state. Our state government over the past 40 years have driven out tons of businesses, created super hostile environments for our small business owners, and in general screws up most things before finding something that works. Occasionally, it does do some really great things, but California largely thrives because of the people who overcome the often idiotic meddling of our banana republic government.

Reagan was not the cause of all of our problems. Conservatism is not the cause of all of our problems. Even the government isn’t the cause of all of our problems. I really believe we have to stop trying to point the finger at one ideology, one party, one belief and be more open to a blending of ideas. There are pros and cons to most things.