Does it appear to you – as it does to me – that government is incapable of dealing with the current financial turmoil? The White House and congressional Democrats blame everyone but themselves. Senator Chris Dodd admits he put a measure in the AIG bailout bill that allowed employees to get their bonuses tax-free. Several senators say they were pressured by the Treasury to go along.

Then we have news that several of the firms getting bailout money are in arrears on their income taxes to the tune of about $100 million. Meanwhile, President Obama goes on the Tonight Show to try to fool the people who get most of their news and views through these venues.

Government is the only entity that continually proves it cannot do what it promises and yet is allowed by the public – or power-hungry politicians – to accrue even more power to itself. Our freedoms are being eroded. The reason is no one teaches – or learns—the real history of the country, or reads the Constitution, or seems to care. It’s all about government caring for us. We will be sorry unless we wake up and fast.

Cal Thomas is a syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.