March 24, 2015 by David K. Sutton
House of Cards: Question For Big Government Supporters
A commenter on the IMDb (Internet Movie Database) House of Cards message board asks, “If you find this show to be a reflection of reality for U.S. politics, namely, that the vast majority of politicians are narcissists looking to secure their ‘legacy’ and are simply parading as caring compatriots, how do you rationalize maintaining or expanding the current bloated system?”
Of course, the logic of the question is flawed. Built within the question is an assessment of the “system” before allowing anyone to respond. But the bigger logical fallacy is that there is no such thing as a supporter of big government, at least not among the mainstream and rational political discourse of the citizenry. It’s frivolous to believe there are countless individuals who support what many conservatives affectionately refer to as “big government.” After all, what is big government anyway?
An additional logical fallacy is assuming that anyone finds the show “House of Cards” to be a “reflection of reality for U.S. politics.” Okay, I’m sure some people do, but that doesn’t make it so. “House of Cards” is as much a reflection of political reality as “24” was a reflection of the reality of terrorist threats. I mean sure, maybe some pundits on Fox News fell into this logical fallacy abyss, but must we all partake? In other words, “House of Cards” and “24” are fucking TV shows designed for the explicit purpose of entertainment. They are not documentaries. If you are still unsure, consult the Flintstones for a refresher on matters of prehistoric importance.
But even after all the logical destruction fraught with this question, I will address it anyway.
I don’t support big government, but I do support many things that conservatives call big government, and it’s not my problem that conservatives feel the need to do so. So, if we are talking about universal health care, or Social Security, or Medicare, or Medicaid, or unemployment insurance, or veterans benefits, the reason I can support these things is simple: I recognize that government is necessary. I recognize that sometimes people need assistance. I recognize that even if there are narcissistic assholes elected to office, there are many more unelected public sector workers who do good work to keep this country running and offer a hand to people when they are in need.
So, to the person who posted this question, or anyone who is sympathetic to this line of questioning, I say this: Stop being so myopic.
