Irony 1

One of the tenets of modern American conservative thought is distrust of Big Government.

But in that terminology, Big Government translates into those aspects of government that are designed to help the helpless, the lost, the wounded, such as Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and (gasp!) Welfare in all it’s forms (except, of course, for welfare for the rich).

At the same time, many of these same folks who call themselves “conservative” put great trust in other Federal agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investitagation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Military (note that 50% of the current Federal budget goes to the armed services).

Let us look at the record:

When was the last time, for example, that the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Education was found guilty of overstepping its bounds?

Yeah, right, Google all you want, it ain’t there.

When was the last time the Federal Bureau of Investigation was found to be overstepping its bounds? That’s right. Every time you turn around.

And the CIA? A history of abuse.

And how about the Department of Torture Vice President’s Office. Oh, yeah, I forgot. There is no Vice President’s Office.

I suggest to you, Gentle Readers, that the conservatives’ distrust of government is well-placed. Sadly, though, they are distrusting the wrong part of the government.

They should be distrusting the parts they like–the military and militaristic parts, because those are the parts that have historically demonstrated that they are, indeed, untrustworthy.

Sadly, though (and I know this, for I am a good shot), you get more rocks off shooting guns and fantasizing about torture than you do helping people.

Yeah, big government can’t be trusted.

Well, part of it can’t be trusted. My mother’s Medicaid works just fine, thank you. The part that can’t be trusted is the part that claims it’s purpose is to protect.

It didn’t protect those poor souls in New York City. But it quite happily denies American citizens their rights.