R
rdean
Guest
Republicans have this strange idea that our government is some secret cabal made up of little trench coated bureaucrats working secretly and hidden from back rooms pulling strings.
Recently, I watched a documentary called "The Dust Bowl". It was a history of "America's Bread Basket" during the 1030's. Because of poor farming techniques, the middle part of America was turned into a "dust bowl" where nothing would grow. Hundreds of thousands of people left. People starved and died from dust induced pneumonia.
Finally, in the middle 30's, the government began to step in and help. President Roosevelt took a train and car trip through the entire region to bring awareness to the rest of the country.
This is where it gets interesting. Government sent the university trained to try to teach farmers "contour farming" but they refused to learn. How dare the government come in and tell us how to farm. They were very much like conservatives of today. Not trusting or believing the educated or government.
Finally, they started paying farmers to do what they were told. It worked. In fact, as contour farming spread and the land turned green, farmers started to harass hard headed neighbors to "get on board" or face charges - or worse. And they meant it. Nothing succeeds like success.
During the documentary, I was struck how so many of the roads, even highways were "dirt". Remember, it was Republican President Eisenhower who put together the inter state highway system and NASA.
When I look at what the government, made up of "We the people", working together has accomplished, it always amazes me. Then I look at what happens when conservatives come into power and fulfill their own prophecy that government is a failure, it sickens me.
Recently, I watched a documentary called "The Dust Bowl". It was a history of "America's Bread Basket" during the 1030's. Because of poor farming techniques, the middle part of America was turned into a "dust bowl" where nothing would grow. Hundreds of thousands of people left. People starved and died from dust induced pneumonia.
Finally, in the middle 30's, the government began to step in and help. President Roosevelt took a train and car trip through the entire region to bring awareness to the rest of the country.
This is where it gets interesting. Government sent the university trained to try to teach farmers "contour farming" but they refused to learn. How dare the government come in and tell us how to farm. They were very much like conservatives of today. Not trusting or believing the educated or government.
Finally, they started paying farmers to do what they were told. It worked. In fact, as contour farming spread and the land turned green, farmers started to harass hard headed neighbors to "get on board" or face charges - or worse. And they meant it. Nothing succeeds like success.
During the documentary, I was struck how so many of the roads, even highways were "dirt". Remember, it was Republican President Eisenhower who put together the inter state highway system and NASA.
When I look at what the government, made up of "We the people", working together has accomplished, it always amazes me. Then I look at what happens when conservatives come into power and fulfill their own prophecy that government is a failure, it sickens me.
