Matt Taibbi has a long and, I think, perceptive piece about the impact of Hurricane Sandy on this nation's politics. I was especially struck by this line which I believe is true…
In the abstract, most Americans want a smaller and less intrusive government. In reality, what Americans really want is a government that spends less money on other people.
When most folks these days talk about their government getting rid of "non-essential services," they mean "non-essential to me." That's kind of what the Ryan budget is all about: Stop spending on things that don't benefit me and my people.