Thoughts from the GTL Manifesto (a work in progress), Part I.

When you have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, it isn't "asking for help" or "relying on government to do what you should do for yourself." It is a free people banding together to solve problems which time and experience have shown not to be fixable by individuals. I could see reviling a monarchy, or a dictatorship, or an oligarchy, or a communist politburo -- but in America, to revile the government is to revile ourselves.

If shameless capitalists have co-opted the government -which they have - that is all the more reason to get involved, vote sensibly, hold politicians accountable, and pay attention to the functioning of government not only in the US but around the world. Perfect it so that it runs efficiently and protects the citizens whose ancestors saw fit to fight and die to create it.

There are bad governments, yes. But there are good ones too, and ones which are in trouble and need the help of the citizens. Many, many of our foremothers and forefathers died so that our government would live. If you want to shit on it, go ahead, but don't for a moment imagine that your opinion is either morally or intellectually superior. It is just an opinion, and many people equal to you in insight and intelligence do not agree with it.

Forming a more perfect union requires people who care to make it better and are not lazy or cowardly, and not those like Grover Norquist, who famously declared he wants to starve the government of revenue, until it's been weakened enough to "drag it into the bathroom and drown it with [his] bare hands."