What happened to the idea of a great society?

I was watching some kind of ‘news’ this morning, and a reporter/commentator was saying that either Bush or Kerry remarked that we could be out of Iraq soon. All we needed to do was stabilize the economy there, manage the oil revenues, build roads, and construct schools.

Wait a minute. If I had known they were handing out free infrastructures, I would have been in line.

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from a concerned Dorsey High parent. Apparently, in addition to not having new books, the schcool also lacks equipment for the football team.

This parent said that her son and many other young men without fathers, without guidance, benefitted from this program — and if I could see my way to sending in a few dollars, well then, it would save this program.

On the one hand, I thought this woman had a point. Her child’s high school should have the same sports equipment as high schools in more well-heeled areas. On the other hand, I thought, why doesn’t she petition the state assembly for fairer funding — so that her son and his friends could enjoy the same ameneties as other students. I wanted to, but didn’t, write her back and tell her to call her local councilman, her assemblywoman, her congresswoman and ask them why can we afford to build schools for the children of Iraq, but not our own children.

When I was growing up, I thought the purpose of the government was to provide public goods, roads, schools, bridges, and even health insurance. I thought the government could provide jobs — building infrastructure — to low skilled workers — so that we could all benefit. Rather, the government has turned into a system of cronyism — so skewed that children tens of thousands of miles away are getting schools — ostensibly to make the Middle East more peaceful — and in turn to make the world more peaceful — and our children are only able to get education and job training by joining the military — to build schools and infrastructure for others.

Some choice.

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