There’s an old line from one of Ronald Reagan’s press conferences that you’ve probably heard before. He’s talking about trade embargoes and inflation and how farmers in Illinois are being impacted by government policy.
He begins with one of his trademark quotes, by saying:
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.
The line obviously resonated, and not just with the farmers who were watching that press conference in Chicago — anyone who’s ever interacted with the government understood immediately what Reagan was getting at. Most of the time, when the government gets more involved in your life for whatever reason, it’s a good indicator that your life is about to get worse. And normal people are scared of that possibility, for good reason.
At the same time, Reagan’s one-liner raised a question that, until…
