Don't Fall For Their Bootstraps Rhetoric Republican politicians such as Tom Delay live to portray themselves as the heroes of the common man. Philosophically, they claim to believe in individuals rather than the much-villified 'big government'. "It's not the government's money; it's your money", as Bush bleated during the last election. This rhetoric is not only simplistic, childlike, and self-serving, it also undermines the foundations of our Democracy...The next time someone excretes such comments, open a can of Shameless A. brand Whupass. Republicans believe in people, not the government...Until they become the government, that is. Why is this misleading? Because in a Democracy, we are the government; we have the power to change things. When you vote, or participate in civic life, you are the government; when you send water down sewer pipes, call over telephone lines, or use other utilities, you're enjoying the fruits of the democratic process. When you drive on the highway, you're wheels are driving over a massive government spending project. When Republicans claim that they don't believe in government, ask them what they do believe in. Then ask them what they would think of a 'big government' that supports exactly what they believe in. Lo and behold, they do believe in thatgovernment. The government they don't believe in is known as "Democracy"; the system in which the wealthy and powerful call all the shots is called an "Oligarchy"; the merging of state and corporate power was defined by Moussolini as "Fascism". Which type of government do you think Tom DeLay and his ilk actually support?