--- On Thu, 9/4/08, Dennis Claxton <ddclaxton at earthlink.net> wrote:
> has disproved what these people are saying). What's
> important is to
> recognize that there are people living in this country who
> believe
> their government is trying to destroy them.
>
[WS:] That is a widely spread belief in Amerika, especially among white "middle America," no?
Belief that government, regulations, and taxes are an oppressive force that represses individuals - be it in the form of tax "burden" bureaucratic hurdles, or other oppressive policies - is the very foundation of the right wing ideology and worldview. I find it sad that poor people who stand to gain from government programs, and did gain from them (Great society programs, for example) subscribe to such right wing tripe.
What I expect from a progressive camp is an alternative view of government as the guarantor of individual freedoms and prosperity, a protector from injustice and abuses of many by a few, coupled with a demand that the actual governments live up to that ideal.
Wojtek