Ronald Reagan was right. No more dangerous words in the English language have been spoken than, "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you." The danger comes when fallible humans think that they can make it their business to help other fallible humans. They may be able to, but because they're fallible, their help is not perfect for the situation and often it fails to solve the majority of the problem.
Take for example, our government-regulated, low-flow toilets. Unless you have a "pressurized" system, these toilets frequently require extra help disposing of solid waste. They were legislated because people thought we were flushing away perfectly good tap water that could be conserved. While the road to hell is paved with good intentions, I'm convinced these toilets are at the rest stops along the way.
Another example is our Social Security Disabilty Determination system, a well-intentioned debacle that is all but killing those it was intended to help. In summer 2006, I filed my paperwork with the SSD system. Every doctor I've been to in the last two years has agreed that I am disabled. Yet, here we are, leaving the summer of 2008 and I still don't have a favorable decision. Mired in red tape and bureaucrats, this government system tries to help those people who need it, those who have worked until an injury or illness made it impossible, but in the end, SSD drives those same people into bad credit, bankruptcy and yes, even suicide because of their ineptitude.
It is a difficult thing to admit, especially for left-leaning Americans and outright socialists, but the government is very poor at improving peoples lives. It's the reason so many talk about faith-based initiatives. Those organizations that realize the nature of man and work with it instead of against it will find greater success. They are morally driven to help people and are less vulnerable to corruption (key on less vulnerable, not invulnerable).
If you are looking to the government, you are already desperate. If you are hoping for real help and maybe some validation for your suffering, the government will likely be unable to provide it. Instead, try doing what the faith-based people do. They look to God as their Provider and their Source. They take God as their ultimate supplier, not the government because they know that the government is made up of broken people whose desire to help is choked in a monolithic culture of bureaucracy. They know that God will work through them and take care of those who wrong them. In short, they work for the Big Guy and He takes their work seriously.
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1 comment:
My mother has been out of work due to an injury that caused permanent disability since 2004. The gov't assistance roller coaster she has ridden would make anyone beg to return her seat back to the full, upright position so that she can land. ((sigh))
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