Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304252704575156031760261858.html

This is an EXCELLENT article by Dan Henninger of WSJ.

People have gotten wise to a simple fact. When Democrats and progressives applaud the moral righteousness of government programs, from global warming to health care, they pat themselves on the back for supposedly doing good things, but the actual “good” that’s being done is the labor of just about everyone else: the rich, big business, small business, and future taxpayers. And yet progressives sneer, deride, and vilify these groups at every turn.

Foolishly they take solace in polls that indicate they can still cobble a majority out of traditional Democratic constituents, program beneficiaries, and government workers. They ignore something very important. People who have no stake in these programs are forming opinions in response to them that are of an intensity well out of proportion to what would be expected, certainly higher than recipients. Henninger is right: it is not entirely about health care. It is a cumulative effect. People who are not beholden to government are fed up with paying the bills for those who are, and the entire host of programs which have been added to the bill in the past are the object of their rage. They have been giving inches their entire life, and now they want to take back the mile.

Even people who are beholden to government see the result as a loser. It reminds me of Harry Browne’s simple question: Would you be willing to give up your favorite government program to not have to pay income taxes for the rest of your life?