Throughout these past few semesters, I have developed, in my admitted ignorance, an idea of how a government should best assist and service the citizens that pay it tribute. Many of the people that ebb and flow through the periphery of our existences have had their lives and their paths significantly altered by “chance.” These alterations are not those of a tailor. They fail to make our lives more snug and comfortable. These alterations are most always detrimental to our standard and quality of life. And that is where the government should come in. It should be the place of the government to mitigate the negative effects of “chance” on the life of its citizen. The government should have the social services in place to care for a person when disease strikes or when a company is forced to downsize. It should be the aim of a government to guide the growth of a society to overall comfort, health and contentment, despite the wrenches that are constantly thrown recklessly into peoples’ lives.
There is one aspect of our current government policies that incessantly nags at me, and ceaselessly antagonizes and harasses the ideal above. Instead of helping those in need, those who are vulnerable and weak and whose lives have been “altered,” the government has a track record that is truly something to be ashamed of. Yet, if neglect were the only issue, I would not be as bothered as I am now. Our current policies seem to go out of their way to accentuate poverty and disability. The policies seem to undermine the entire purpose of government, not only impairing the ability of our nation to succeed, but crippling our growth. It is not realistic for us to aspire to Sweden’s active labor market policies. Our population is approximately 34 times that of Sweden’s and unless everyone wants to pay taxes that are astronomically higher, we have find another way. And that, I think, is the idea being espoused by The Body Economic. Our government leaders must investigate the paths that create healthy societies. They cannot let their egos and their prejudices get in the way of facts and data. They must set aside their party lines and do the deed they were elected to do—what’s best for the American people.
