During the last presidential election, there was much discussion on who was a taker or maker in our country. Based on who receives a benefit from federal, state and local governments, we are all takers to a degree by definition.
Living each day requires the support of the world around us whether we leave our homes or not. Delivery trucks need maintained roads. Even for those who are not on public assistance or receiving a paycheck from Uncle Sam, the fact that our military, firefighters, police, food inspectors, transportation workers, etc., maintain our safety and infrastructure results in everyone benefitting from government.
What needs to be discussed now are the fixers and the breakers. Fixers identify problems, propose solutions and get things fixed. They keep our workplaces, communities and nation up and running. Breakers are more complex. Some break things and then bemoan they’re broken. Others defer maintenance or let issues fester until they become costly problems. The (not so) odd thing is, it seems like the breakers own/support the companies bidding on the contracts to address the avoidable damage. Breakers brag about all the money they save on paint while we watch our infrastructure corrode and rot. Then there are the breakers who stealthily break things and blame others. They speak of the strategies of the fixers in public, while behind the scenes working to break things even more.
Yes, there is a lot of money to be made breaking things. We the taxpayers need to look a little deeper when determining the causes of our problems and support the individuals and groups who are fixers. And to the folks who want to take back their country so they can break it more and sell the pieces to foreigners; please unwrap yourself from the American flag while doing so.