Ohio Sentry
Your window into the political landscape of Ohio.

What Has The Government Done

In an era where identity and representation are hotly debated topics, Hershey's approach to International Women's Day has sparked significant controversy. Opting to feature a man in a dress as part of their campaign, the company has drawn criticism from those who feel that this choice undermines the very essence of a day dedicated to celebrating the achievements and addressing the challenges women face. Critics argue that such decisions by corporations not only misrepresent the intent of the observance but also fail to honor the real and substantial advancements made by women throughout history.
Recently, on X, I chatted with someone and asked them, "Can you name one thing the government does for you?" They responded with a list of things they believed were beneficial. However, I went through each item and explained why none of them actually helped him or anyone else. This is the information that I provided for him.
He responded to my question with this list of government functions.
  1. Defense
  2. Social Welfare
  3. Economic Regulation and Support
  4. Public Health and Healthcare
  5. Education and Research
  6. Infrastructure and Transportation
  7. Law Enforcement & Justice
  8. Environmental Protection
  9. Immigration & Border Control
  10. Foreign Diplomacy

Defense

The U.S. Military is more focused on diversity and social programs than on being ready to defend the country. The last time our military was used to defend us directly was during World War II. Foreign troops haven't invaded our nation since the War of 1812. You might feel protected, but that's because no foreign army has attempted to invade us for a long time.

Social Welfare

Social welfare includes several programs, such as Education and healthcare. Since you've already mentioned those, they'll be covered in their respective sections. However, there's one more I'd like to highlight: disaster relief for Hawaii following the 2023 wildfires. The government offered direct financial aid to those affected, individuals who lost their homes and belongings, a one-time payment of $700, in today's economy that will barely cover the cost of a month's rent in most areas. Meanwhile, illegal immigrants are given free housing, cash cards, food vouchers, and healthcare. Is this fair to American citizens?

Economic Regulation and Support

One purpose of government economic regulation is to maintain economic stability. The last four years have been a disaster for our economy, with record-high inflation. You can try to blame COVID-19 for it, but the data doesn't support this. Even with COVID-19, under Trump's administration, inflation was at 1.4% but jumped to 9.1% within a year of Biden taking over the Oval Office. Had the cause of inflation been due to COVID-19, they would have returned to pre-COVID numbers instead of continuing to rise.

Public Health and Healthcare

Public health is about preventing disease that focuses on the health of populations as a whole rather than individual patients. We just saw how bad of a job the government does with public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths globally due to mismanagement from the government. New York Governor Cuomo was responsible for over 30,000 deaths because he sent COVID-19 patients to nursing homes where the most vulnerable lived.

Education and Research

The Department of Education is a federal agency that has taken on too much power and should be removed. They focus more on promoting social ideologies, such as sex education, gender identity, drag queen activities, and porn books in school libraries than improving education. This diversion from its core mission has not improved education outcomes and test scores. Education should be run by states and local communities instead of the federal government.

Infrastructure and Transportation

In 2021, Biden approved a program called the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD). This program was supposed to cost $42.5 billion and aimed to give millions of Americans access to fast internet. In the last three years, no business or home has been connected to any new broadband network through this program.

Law Enforcement & Justice

The Democrats use the Law Enforcement and Justice Department to target Conservatives while being lenient towards Liberals. The events of January 6 highlight this, as many people were arrested and given long jail sentences for simply expressing their First Amendment rights. Meanwhile, groups like Antifa and BLM were involved in significant destruction across cities, and there was even an instance where they briefly took over a city area and declared it an independent entity called CHAD. If such actions aren't treason, then nothing else is. Law enforcement has also pursued parents who voice concerns about explicit content in schools or people who pray quietly near abortion clinics. In addition, Democrats are using Law enforcement to go after their political opponents like Trump. They are weaponizing the law to suppress and target those who disagree with them, which is a dangerous precedent for our justice system.

Environmental Protection

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an overgrown government department that has slowed down economic progress. It causes businesses to lose money and makes things more expensive for consumers without offering any real help to the environment. The EPA is focused on global climate change issues while overlooking pressing problems like water pollution and managing forests. For example, in Palestine, Ohio, residents have faced the problem of polluted drinking water ever since a train derailed in 2023.

Immigration & Border Control

In recent years, there's been a big increase in illegal immigration, with over 7.2 million people crossing the border illegally. This number is larger than the population of 36 separate states. Sadly, more than 80,000 children have gone missing. You do care about the children, don't you? Another serious issue is fentanyl, a deadly drug coming across the border, leading to tens of thousands of deaths each year. Additionally, the open border has allowed terrorists and gang members, like the Venezuelan gang in Colorado and other cities, to enter.

Foreign Diplomacy

The question was about what the government does for you, and diplomacy isn't exactly a direct benefit unless you're not an American citizen. But since we're talking about it, how effective was our diplomacy when we went into Iraq in 2003 looking for weapons of mass destruction? And how did it work out when we withdrew from Afghanistan, which allowed the Taliban to take over again and left them with a lot of military gear? The conflict between Ukraine and Russia is partially because the U.S. and NATO were encouraging Ukraine to join NATO.

Summary

The government's failure to effectively manage the economy, healthcare, education, infrastructure, law enforcement, the environment, immigration, and foreign relations has left many feeling unsafe. The government must ensure the safety of its citizens, and it is failing in this regard. The government must refocus on its core responsibilities to truly serve the people. Instead of misguided interventions that often exacerbate problems, the government must improve the economy, ensure everyone's safety, promote education that prioritizes learning over politics, secure the borders, and prioritize the well-being of its citizens.