It's what you say over and over.

There are certain things the government does pretty reliably - Taking money, distributing money, blowing stuff up from the air, building roads, culverts, ports, and bridges. Creating rules for use of the RF spectrum.  Distributing food, medicine, and electricity to poor and rural areas.

There are other things it does just OK, that we wish it could do better - Auditing vendors. Solving crimes and prosecuting criminals. Building residential properties. Guarding the border. Cleaning up from environmental disasters.

And then there are things it's terrible at - maintaining residential housing. Prosecuting bribery and fraud. Catching drug dealers.  Catching human traffickers. Fighting insurgents on the ground. Distributing doctors, teachers, and dentists to poor and rural areas.

None of this is partisan.  It's just how things have gone in my lifetime.

You're the only person on this board who could possibly give Biden an OK for the border.

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When you get into the endzone, act like you've been there before.

There are certain things the government does pretty reliably - Taking money, distributing money, blowing stuff up from the air, building roads, culverts, ports, and bridges. Creating rules for use of the RF spectrum.  Distributing food, medicine, and electricity to poor and rural areas.

There are other things it does just OK, that we wish it could do better - Auditing vendors. Solving crimes and prosecuting criminals. Building residential properties. Guarding the border. Cleaning up from environmental disasters.

And then there are things it's terrible at - maintaining residential housing. Prosecuting bribery and fraud. Catching drug dealers.  Catching human traffickers. Fighting insurgents on the ground. Distributing doctors, teachers, and dentists to poor and rural areas.

None of this is partisan.  It's just how things have gone in my lifetime.

You're the only person on this board who could possibly give Biden an OK for the border.

That's not what I said.
I said our government, regardless of who is President can do an OK job at that.  Biden chose not to, but that's not relevant to my point.

Nice try!

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My fellow southpaw Mark Brunell will probably always be my favorite Jaguar.

You're the only person on this board who could possibly give Biden an OK for the border.

That's not what I said.
I said our government, regardless of who is President can do an OK job at that.  Biden chose not to, but that's not relevant to my point.

Nice try!

Sorry to expose your backpedaling, but you said "does", not "can do".  Do you need me to explain the difference?

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When you get into the endzone, act like you've been there before.

That's not what I said.
I said our government, regardless of who is President can do an OK job at that.  Biden chose not to, but that's not relevant to my point.

Nice try!

Sorry to expose your backpedaling, but you said "does", not "can do".  Do you need me to explain the difference?

"The government does" is clearly speaking generically, not time specific.
"The government is doing" would be the conjugation to speak about the present leadership or conditions.

For instance "the government helps with hurricane relief" is clearly about their general activities whenever a hurricane comes, while "the government is helping with recovery from hurricane Ivan" is clearly about what's happening now.

See the difference?

Happy to help!

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My fellow southpaw Mark Brunell will probably always be my favorite Jaguar.

Let me help. What Mikey thinks the government does well just happens to align with ways they make other people more money. What the government does poorly is to implement any ideas that don't make people money. He's ok with the first, because he's been conditioned to think like that, and he's not ok with the second, because he's tacitly admitting the people don't have any real power and the government doesn't have any real backbone.

Carry on.

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Let me help. What Mikey thinks the government does well just happens to align with ways they make other people more money. What the government does poorly is to implement any ideas that don't make people money. He's ok with the first, because he's been conditioned to think like that, and he's not ok with the second, because he's tacitly admitting the people don't have any real power and the government doesn't have any real backbone.

Carry on.

I get that it doesn't feel good when you lay it all out like that. 

But what if it's true? 
What if this really is just about the best we can do? 
What if greed and complacency are the only legitimate animating forces of a strong and stable government? What if substutung reason or religion as animating forces is the path to anarchy or revolution or both?

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My fellow southpaw Mark Brunell will probably always be my favorite Jaguar.

Sorry to expose your backpedaling, but you said "does", not "can do".  Do you need me to explain the difference?

"The government does" is clearly speaking generically, not time specific.
"The government is doing" would be the conjugation to speak about the present leadership or conditions.

For instance "the government helps with hurricane relief" is clearly about their general activities whenever a hurricane comes, while "the government is helping with recovery from hurricane Ivan" is clearly about what's happening now.

See the difference?

Happy to help!

"Does" reflects historical averages, whereas "can do" represents theoretical potential.   In other words, the four disastrous years we've experienced under Biden, negate four great years under another President, to bring us back to an OK level.  You just need to put the Biden administration in proper perspective.  But hey, maybe you still give him an OK border rating.

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When you get into the endzone, act like you've been there before.

Let me help. What Mikey thinks the government does well just happens to align with ways they make other people more money. What the government does poorly is to implement any ideas that don't make people money. He's ok with the first, because he's been conditioned to think like that, and he's not ok with the second, because he's tacitly admitting the people don't have any real power and the government doesn't have any real backbone.

Carry on.

I get that it doesn't feel good when you lay it all out like that. 

But what if it's true? 
What if this really is just about the best we can do? 
What if greed and complacency are the only legitimate animating forces of a strong and stable government? What if substutung reason or religion as animating forces is the path to anarchy or revolution or both?

That's a sad response. Greed is good, according to Ayn Rand, when competing forces drive down prices for the people. Greed is terrible when it's captured the power of the state. Your problem is you are unwilling to even look at our government and recognize that it's been wholly captured by special interests. We have no power. It will lead to revolution or totalitarianism.

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