Putting Too Much Faith in Government

Latest Polls (view all)

Where do you stand on the Transgender Issue now that the issue has gotten to the overt point of the open celebration of this lifestyle choice, dictated by certain direct and explicit actions.

91.07% I do not approve of behavior that has within its expressed tenants policies that harm children.

8.04% I do support the Trans Community in all its many facets because diversity is at a premium in today's society.

0.89% What is a "Children's Drag Queen Story Hour?"

Click Here to Vote
112 Vote(s)

View all Polls

Putting Too Much Faith in Government

Published: Sunday, March 7th, 2021 @ 1:23 pm
By: John Locke Foundation ( More Entries )

Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the John Locke Foundation. The author of this post is Mitch Kokai.

Jim Geraghty of National Review Online notes a disturbing tendency among some political observers. They believe placing "the right people" in charge of government will solve any problem.

[D]id the glowing coverage of Cuomo (and Gretchen Whitmer, and Phil Murphy, and Gavin Newsom) demonstrate that a lot of people need to believe that the right leaders in government can fix giant and unexpected problems such as a novel virus that triggered a global pandemic? That they're so unnerved by the unknown that they gravitate to a voice that sounds certain and confident, even if that voice is as flawed and befuddled as the rest of us?

The moment people realized they were dealing with something new and frightening in the pandemic in early 2020, they hungered for leadership. Some people turned to Anthony Fauci with a reverence sometimes bordering on religious. Those who were convinced that it couldn't be that bad, and that everyone was overhyping the threat, turned to the likes of Alex Berenson. Everybody wanted to find their expert who really understood everything that was going on and knew what to do and had all the answers.

Over the past year, I've been pretty darn critical of elected leaders at a bunch of levels — former President Trump, Bill de Blasio, Cuomo, Whitmer, and all the idiot governors and mayors who broke their own quarantine rules. I've pointed out that the media don't just overpraise Democratic governors; they overpraise the wrong ones. There is a lot to criticize in the federal-, state-, and local-government responses to the pandemic.

But a lot of evidence also suggests that a nation's or state's success in preventing coronavirus deaths had a lot to do with geography, population density, poverty, mass-transit usage, preexisting health problems, and other factors that government really can't control. Policy choices probably have some effect, but most likely less effect than impassioned supporters and critics think.

Go Back

Login to Leave a Comment

State Debt Nearly One-Third Lower Than in 2013

John Locke Foundation Guest Editorial, Editorials, Op-Ed & Politics

Trump in 2024? He’s Not Saying for Certain

Our Members

ENCN Sign Up

BCN Home

Beaufort Observer

Portfolios

Current Events: A Historical Perspective

Current Weather

Latest Comments

Latest Polls

Featured Entries

Latest Entries

Putting Too Much Faith in Government | Eastern NC Now

Putting Too Much Faith in Government

Leave a Guest Comment

Latest Op-Ed & Politics

Prof. Victor Davis Hanson - "The Socialist Monster Awakens"

video: high school girls speak out on impact of letting biological boys into girls restrooms

Crooked Fauci pleads the 5th in Senate hearing after his own diary exposes his lies

new NY poll - After Mandani endorsement, support for Gov. Hochul tanks

Biden ghostwriter tapes reveal he was in la-la land as early as 2017 - the Manchurian candidate

Queen Garris And Disloyalty

NY election audit: more fraudulent votes cast in Mandani race than his margin of victory

Queen Garris - Déjà vu “All Over Again”

Trump Raves About Record-Setting Fireworks Display For America 250

Biden bucks - more on the Biden climate boondoggle that wasted our tax money

Anti-immigration protesters storm Glasgow, Scotland - "Scotland for the Scots"

Truth for our times: Suffering, Candy, the Gas-Station Drug & Old Temperance Pledge

Federal court strikes down Illinois law giving in-state tuition to illegal aliens at colleges

Arrogant Biden district judge tries to overrule SCOTUS on key illegal immigration issue

Democrat funder Act Blue phony contributor calls them out - $150,000 in fake contributions

Tillis waffles on Trump Atty Gen. nominee Blanche - will Tillis betray GOP once again?

Trump DOE moves to end Obama regs that treat races differently in school discipline

Congress moves to end ABA accreditation of law schools over ABA's DEI requirements

NJ Dems admit they have 6,600 foreigners on voter rolls - WHY WE NEED SAVE AMERICA ACT

Look what the casino lobby bought with its big spending against conservatives in GOP primary

American Socialists’ Billionaire Sugar Daddy Is Under DOJ Investigation

British Labour government tries to cover up illegal alien crime statistics

Illegal alien migrants behaving badly - migrants and crime NEWLY UPDATED

Beaufort County Hospital Back in the News

AI cameras searching for guns, Wyoming gun activists increasingly alarmed

Conservative Congressman Ralph Norman enters special US Senate primary in SC

Flock cameras, big brother is watching