And so should you.
I spent years studying and flirting with anti-government philosophies on the right (libertarianism) and left (anarchism). But like so many philosophical notions, they sound appealing but lack empirical support.
For a historical perspective on how big government has dramatically improved our lives, I recommend two books by top scientists, both MacArthur Genius award winners.
Steven Pinker’s "The Better Angels of our Nature" documents how interpersonal violence has declined since the emergence of governments. Granted, there is still too much violence, but you are far less likely to die a violent death than your ancestors were before the rise of strong central governments. Even today, regions with weak central governments, be they entire nations or city blocks, are where we find the most violent crimes.
Americans are horrified by the Middle Eastern beheadings. This is a region without strong central government. But go back just a few centuries when European nations and their weak governments were killing witches by the thousands and torturing people with far more cruel methods like drawing and quartering. Or but a few decades ago when parents here in the U.S. took their children to watch legal public hanging and even to illegal hanging and burning blacks on their KKK Christian crosses where they would pose for the cameras. Even with the rise of the TEA party, few Americans have the stomach to return to those “good old days.”
Jared Diamond in “The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?” makes a similar argument based on his research in New Guinea. The continuous tribal warfare “finally ended by forceful intervention by colonial governments.” While there were serious abuses by colonial governments, many tribal men liked the new arrangement as reflected in this quote, “Life was better since the government had come because a man could now eat without looking over his shoulder and could leave his house in the morning to urinate without fear of being shot.” Sane people do not want to live in tribal societies or regions without strong central government.
In more recent history, I can see how big government spending improved my life. As a teen, I remember critics screaming about “wasteful” government spending on the space program. A program that has saved tens of millions of lives with its weather satellites. Satellites that farmers depend on to maximize crop yields. Satellites that TV, the Internet, and all forms of communication rely upon. Satellites that make air and marine transportation safer. Satellites that monitor foreign armies and terrorist groups.
I’m thankful my government was big enough and smart enough to invest in computer technology. And while facebook sometimes frustrates me, I’m overjoyed that my big government invested in Internet technology.
I’m thankful my government is finally investing in stem cell research. Flu vaccines have been a blessing. Before these shots, I could expect one or two flu episodes each winter that put me in bed for a week or more. I never came close to perfect attendance in school. Today, I still get head colds and an occasional upset stomach, but I’ve not been totally incapacitated since flu shots. I’m thankful my government is spending on medical technologies like artificial limbs that help both civilians and returning soldiers.
My relatives benefitted from big government spending on rural electric. Where would we be without our government spending big bucks on the Interstate system and bridges? If you have friends in the Minneapolis area, you might ask them if they want to curtail government spending on bridges.
I want a government that spends money fixing potholes and maintaining bridges. I want a government that spends money educating our kids and helping young adults with college. I want a government that spends money policing corporations and big enough to put cheating bankers and corporate CEOs in prison. I want a government that spends big money on basic science. I want a government that spends money on cures for diseases. I want a government that enforces environmental laws and spends money keeping our environment clean and free of toxins. I want a government that invests in clean energy.
There is waste in government, but it is a myth that people spend their money more wisely. Neither people nor corporations were willing to pool their money to bring electricity to rural areas. They did not pool their money for the Hoover Damn, the space program, computers, or the Internet. People bought cigarettes, beer, and pornography. They buy junk food, velvet Elvises, and lots of plastic crap. I’m not criticizing those choices, but we don’t need to cut back on science, education, and infrastructure so people can purchase another velvet Elvis.
And where could and should this money come from? It can and should come from the multi-billionaires who cheat workers out of their pensions. Get it from the multi-billionaires who hide their money offshore. Get it from the multi-billionaires who pay zero payroll taxes because their wealth is not classified as wages. Get it from the multi-billionaires who benefit from paying poverty wages and tell their employees to apply for food stamps and public health care. There is a lot of money out there and we need it to build a fair and balanced society.