Government is the Problem?
Republicans want you to believe government is a cauldron of incompetence. It’s never been true, and it’s not true now.
Since President Biden took office, Republicans have been quick to resurrect that old saw, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Biden seems determined to prove them wrong, engineering a comprehensive legislative package to help the nation bounce back from the pandemic, leading a massive drive to get the country vaccinated quickly, and spearheading a substantial effort to repair and improve the country’s infrastructure.
In previous eras, the government also provided solutions. Franklin Roosevelt created jobs through public works programs, and he helped secure better retirements through Social Security. Harry Truman integrated the armed forces. Dwight Eisenhower led the effort to build the interstate highway system. John Kennedy inspired the country to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Lyndon Johnson championed civil rights for Black America. Richard Nixon committed the country to environmental protection. Ronald Reagan put an end to the Cold War. George H. W. Bush made short work of the Iraq War. Bill Clinton helped create the nation’s first budget surpluses in thirty years. George W. Bush did more than any other president to combat AIDS. Barack Obama drove the Affordable Care Act and, of course, led the…
