Mistrust is nothing new

E.J.Dionne proclaims Mistrust Puts Up A Wall this morning. As a baby boomer who became politically aware in the late 60's and early 70's when the the government was lying to me about the debacle in Vietnam so mistrust for me is nothing new. Dionne explains that the entire country now feels this mistrust not just us aging hippies.

The United States is a cranky nation in a crabby mood. To relieve our distemper, we need the leadership we're now lacking and a citizenry with greater hope in its democratic capacities.

After discussing the failed immigration bill Dionne has this:

The skepticism about government is currently directed against Bush, against conservatives and against Republicans. But this should give Democrats little comfort. As Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg argues in the current issue of the American Prospect, "There is a perverse consequence brought about by the scale of conservatives' failure."

The problem, Greenberg says, "is that conservatives have failed in ways that have undermined Americans' sense of collective capacity. Their failure has communicated not just their own incompetence, but also the message that government in general is incompetent."

"By failing so dramatically," Greenberg continues, "conservatives have created a significant roadblock for Democrats: They have undermined people's faith in the very instrument that we as progressives want to use to solve problems."

Mr Greenberg is correct. In fact the anti-government Republicans have accomplished exactly what they intended - create at atmosphere of mistrust. The conservative haven't failed they may have won. While the majority do not like the direction the country has taken they may not be too enthusiastic about progressive solutions.