The Institution is Overwhelmed

Well, I got to reading an article and I would like you to read it as well. It is a bit of a long read, but as you read through it, think about as it would apply to your local, provincial and federal government. The article is http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110007460 there...check it out.

So as I was reading this, it struck me how this can apply to every government at seemingly every level. Government is continuing to grow at a very quick rate. Each level, or order, of government are trying to deal with issues that are not their own. Each is trying to leave their mark or do their best to be everything to everybody from local couselors to the Prime Minister. My worry is that this is creating a society whose expectations will prove to be unsustainable in the long run. For instance, let's look at our Canadian federal government, or as I like to call them...the dumb dumbs.

The question we must ask is, what are the priorities of our federal government and do they line up with their proper role? We can talk about things like the gun registry and ad scam; but instead of their bogus spending/extra-responsibilities bringing them down, the NDP say it is because they will not protect public health care, a roll that the Feds inserted themselves into 30 years ago. My question is, why should they protect public health care? It is not even their responsibility. The problem is that society has to come expect so much for so little that there is no way that any government can do what is expected of them.

How can a province, like Newfoundland and Labrador for example, be expected to curb their spending to get themselves out of debt when the people of this province, and all provinces for that matter, expect quick and instant access to the health care system? People are increasingly turning to the government to fix their problems and they are consistently disappointed when those problems go unsolved.

As Ms. Noonan states, it is not the individuals in government that are overwhelmed, but the institutions. The institutions have taken on so much that they are crumbling under their own weight. The question now that is posed is, what do you do to fix it? Or better, is it possible to fix the system without radical change?

One of the ways to start change is in the next federal election. What will you do when this vote comes? Will vote for a party that is so hell bent on keeping power they neglect their responsibilities in their quest to hold that power? Or do you vote for a party that is so intent on enacting their agenda that they uphold a government which is morally corrupt and who they can blackmail? Or do you vote for a party who takes a stand against all of this and tries to do what they feel is best for a country as a whole and not delve into every single, solitary problem? Why wouldn’t you vote for a party that takes a stand against lofty expectations? Are Canadians scared of a government being run responsibly?

The difference between the conservatives and liberals (right vs. left) is that conservatives seem to have the courage of their convictions and are willing to shift responsibility back to the individual, from the institution. That is the only way that a government can survive. By allowing the individual to be what it is, an individual and providing every opportunity for that individual to succeed. It is not equality of outcomes but rather equality of opportunity that is important. Our problems in this country cannot be fixed over night, or even in a four year term, but why would you allow the same problem to continue? Why wouldn’t you take a chance on a new direction? I think Abba wrote a gooder about that…

Or maybe I’m just off my rocker…