Yes, but *why* do people hate the government so?
I went to the post office this morning and had a perfectly pleasant experience: the staff were friendly and helpful, the products seemed reasonably priced. It got me thinking: Where does the pathological dislike and distrust of government that characterizes today’s political climate come from?
- Tax time: Yes, it’s a hit, but it’s once a year – do people really look at every single paycheck and resent the bite anew, when it’s the same each pay period?
- The DMV: frustrating, but at most, once every year.
- The post office: can be up and down, but these days, do most people use it all that much, and besides, aren’t the automated postal centers relatively convenient?
- Regulation/permits: I can imagine getting a zoning permit, or a building permit, or an event permit, could easily get frustrating. But again, how often does that happen?
I just don’t get it. How much contact does your average Tea Partier have with the government? It seems like people have been whipped up into a frenzy over something that’s not necessarily all that present in their lives – having been convinced that government is bad on principle. This is very dangerous.
I remain unconvinced about where this anti-government strain of thinking comes from. Something else is going on here….
November 16th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
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November 17th, 2010 at 8:46 am
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May 18th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
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