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.

88.64% I do not approve of behavior that has within its expressed tenants policies that harm children.

10.23% I do support the Trans Community in all its many facets because diversity is at a premium in today's society.

1.14% What is a "Children's Drag Queen Story Hour?"

Click Here to Vote
88 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

Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats gerrymandering referendum

Illegal alien migrants behaving badly - migrants and crime NEWLY UPDATED

anti-immigration Reform Party winning English local elections in apparent landslide UPDATE

Truth for our times: Assassination Attempt, Social Media & Profanity Plague

UN's IPCC climate panel finally admits that doomsday climate scenarios are "implausible"

New poll: 60% of Americans blame the media for assassination attempts on Trump

FBI raids office of Democrat VA Senate President Pro Tem in major corruption probe

RNC Statement on Roy Cooper in Greensboro

GOP voters in Indiana oust 7 state senate RINOs and replace with Trunp backed conservatives

Cooper released 3,500 “hardened criminals out of the NC prisons

Alberta independence from Canada petition submitted with almost 2X number needed

Another de-transitioner wins court settlement for trans surgery genital mutilation

Dominican Republic has mass deportation of Haitian migrants, while Obama judges stop it here

Henry Hinton: "NCAE teachers union rally in Raleigh was like a communist / left wing rally".

Democrat federal candidates make threats on President Trump's life, one arrested

new poll: 60% of French people believe native population being replaced by 3rd world migrants

14,000 food stamps ("SNAP") users were driving luxury cars in just ONE STATE,

Hollywood Still Blacklists Conservatives — Now They Don’t Even Hide It

NC federal grand jury indicts Comey on charges he threatened Trump

The Abortion Industry Simply Changed Tactics. Now Congress Must Act.

Trump Admin Shuts Down Sham Charities Caught Bankrolling Hamas

51 Prisoners To Be Freed As Cuba Shows Cracks Under Trump Pressure

‘Andre the Giant’ marker puts smalltown Ellerbe into spotlight

Republicans Petition for New Meetings

What Happens When A Naturalized Citizen Commits Terror In America?

teachers unions push WEF globalist propaganda in schools; NH legislature fights back

US Justice Department to enforce SCOTUS ruling against states with racial gerrymanders