To some people, 'government' appears as a vast reservoir of power which inspires them to dream of what use might be made of it. They have favourite projects, of various dimensions, which they sincerely believe are for the benefit of mankind, and to capture this source of power, if necessary to increase it, and to use it for imposing their favourite projects upon their fellows is what they understand as the adventure of governing men.
(Michael Oakeshott, "On Being Conservative," in Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays, new and expanded ed. [Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1991], 407-37, at 431-2 [essay first published in 1962])
Note from KBJ: Does this not perfectly describe progressives in general and Barack Obama in particular?
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 