How to View Government.

Paul Krugman in the New York Times has an interesting analysis in his latest column of the reason why President Bush did not deliver after Katrina.

After 9/11, all the country really needed from him was a speech. This time it needed action - and he didn't deliver.
But the federal government's lethal ineptitude wasn't just a consequence of Mr. Bush's personal inadequacy; it was a consequence of ideological hostility to the very idea of using government to serve the public good. For 25 years the right has been denigrating the public sector, telling us that government is always the problem, not the solution. Why should we be surprised that when we needed a government solution, it wasn't forthcoming?

The administration has always tried to treat 9/11 purely as a lesson about good versus evil. But disasters must be coped with, even if they aren't caused by evildoers. Now we have another deadly lesson in why we need an effective government, and why dedicated public servants deserve our respect. Will we listen?

What I may add is that the success of the conservative ideology in the last few years has been fuelled by anti-government rhetoric, especially in social matters. The paradox is that on the subject of terrorism and social liberty, this administration has strengthened government power. In the light of what this blog is about – a Franco-American perspective on current events - it is also interesting to see that the French may be soon following a similar path if right-wing political rising star Nicholas Sarkozy ever becomes president there as some people predict. It is true that in times of crisis, the French tend to do the exact opposite of the Americans – they rely (too) heavily on their government at the expense of private action and personal responsibility, but the failure of government in the aftermath of Katrina shows that some Americans now need to see that government intervention may be not only a good but also a necessary thing.
My view is that the wisest path is (once again) in the 'middle' of course - something between a French view and an American view of government. What is most certain is that both countries now need - for different reasons - to reshape their definitions of the role of government if they want to cope with the new challenges of today's world, they be economic, social or environmental.