President Reagan alerted us and introduced us to “The nine most terrifying words in the English language.” According to Reagan, the nine most terrifying words are, ” “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.
I marvel at the infinite wisdom that made Reagan utter those profound words that have become a cult favorite! Sometimes, I wonder if Reagan, again in his endless knowledge, saw the coming of seventy-four million-strong followers of his message, that government is the problem, some three decades after he left office.
Four years ago, Donald Trump entered politics, doubled down on Reagan’s message, mesmerized his base, called Capitol Hill a swamp, trashed all seasoned politicians of Reagan’s political persuasion, the GOP, and stood toe-to-toe against several of them, and staked a claim to the highest office in the land, the prestigious office Reagan once held, as the leader of the free world. And he won!
Trump’s base took his message and Reagan’s message of fearing the government a step further and labeled all government involvement socialism!
Trump’s base is real! I have family members, friends, neighbors, and folks in my community who belong to it. They proudly repeat Reagan’s words and denounce government with a passion.
I have been telling Trump’s base in my family and friends’ circle that governments need to help their citizens as part of good governance. When one tells me about socialism or communism and its evils, I challenge them to define the term first. Invariably, they repeat in a parrot-like manner, from what has been the chant and mantra from the GOP playbook, the last four years; the Democrats are socialists and communists; they want to spread the wealth, overly regulate, interfere in the day to day lives of citizens…!
I have maintained that in a democracy, governments must step in to give a helping hand to alleviate hardship suffered by its citizens and businesses as a way of providing a safety net. Although we claim to be a capitalist economy, we have socialistic structures and mechanisms in our political, fiscal, and social fabric.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is a governmental agency. Its mission, “To help people before, during, and after disasters.”
Social Security Administration (SSA) is another governmental agency set up expressly “to administer national Social Security programs as prescribed by legislation in an equitable, effective, efficient, and caring manner.”
While the 74 million strong Trump base despises government and calls any government intervention socialism, they forget that the government is well entrenched in their lives.
How can we forget in October 2008, under George W. Bush’s presidency, the government intervened with a massive $ 700 billion bank bailout program to prop up a collapsing banking system.
Further, a subsidy is a form of government help that impacts our lives daily. Our government routinely provides grants to us in oil subsidies to bring down the oil price to consumers; healthcare subsidies through Medicare, Medicaid, and similar programs. The federal government offers housing subsidies in the form of interest rate rebates and down payment assistance.
In 2020 US farmers got a subsidy of over 37 billion from the government in direct cash payments. I wonder how many of those farmers belonged to Trump’s base. When the government came with the offer of assistance, did they refuse?
Now, that brings me back to the profound words of Ronald Reagan, those nine most terrifying words in the English language, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”
Now that we are in the second round of stimulus package passed by the legislature, I wondered, will Trump’s base take Reagan’s words seriously and refuse any government help?
Then the question of the vaccine and its costs, and payment.
I had to put it to the test to satisfy my curiosity. So, I asked two questions from Trump’s base in my circle of family, friends, and neighbors.
The government is helping with a stimulus cash payment. Would you refuse it?
When the government gets the vaccine to you, would you pay for it?
“Heck No!” seems to be the unanimous response!
So, the folks who found any offer of help from the government, “terrifying”, labeled it socialism, are now lining up with their hands stretched for their stimulus check
And their sleeves are rolled up for their free shot of the corona vaccine!
