Incompetent Federal Employees Panic When Asked What They Do All Day

There’sanoldlinefromoneofRonaldReagan’spressconferencesthatyou’veprobablyheardbefore.He’stalkingabouttradeembargoesandinflationandhowfarmersinIllinoisarebeingimpactedbygovernmentpolicy. Hebeginswithoneofhistrademarkquotes,bysaying: TheninemostterrifyingwordsintheEnglishlanguageare:I’mfromtheGovernment,andI’mheretohelp. Thelineobviouslyresonated,andnotjustwiththefarmerswhowerewatchingthatpressconferenceinChicago—anyonewho’severinteractedwiththegovernmentunderstoodimmediatelywhatReaganwasgettingat.Mostofthetime,whenthegovernmentgetsmoreinvolvedinyourlifeforwhateverreason,it’sagoodindicatorthatyourlifeisabouttogetworse.Andnormalpeoplearescaredofthatpossibility,forgoodreason. Atthesametime,Reagan’sone-linerraisedaquestionthat,untilnow,hasgoneunanswered.Andthatquestionisthis:Ifeverydaypeoplearemortallyterrifiedofgovernmentinterventionintheirlives,thenwhatexactlydogovernmentbureaucratsfear,aboveallelse?Whatsh