. Oh. Liberals have a knee-jerk reaction to trust government to run things well and efficiently. Gosh, I didn't know that. Do ALL liberals do that? Maybe I could embarrass myself and state that all conservatives are money-hungry MBA types (the ones who actually graduated high school first) who would screw their grannies for a piece of the Wall Street pie... but I won't, because I'm educated and therefore I don't make sweeping bullshlt generalities that are actually empty, poorly thought out, wrong and essentially non-issues in the REAL world where MOST people work hard, often on their feet, often in uncomfortable working conditions for some arrogant MBA-type boss who never even broke a fingernail during the course of work, a boss who couldn't DO the work that his employees show up every day to perform for the minimum wage that the boss can get away with, all the while the boss is in an overstuffed chair in an air-conditioned office on the phone with the kids' babysitter, trying to figure out a way to get some strange, preferably for free. But that would be a generality, so I won't use that to counter your off-the-mark assertion. No, rather than engage in titfortat belittlements, I will state that I am a Vietnam vet who had the best training, best food and best equipment available, but had to spend time under a REPUBLICAN cconservative flag-waving commie-huntin' Commander-in-Chief who would later be the ONLY President EVER to resign his office, but who, in the meantime, caused 10,000 more of us to die while he protracted the Paris Peace Talks, with the explicit support and advice of H. Kissinger. I will also state that I am a "consumer" of occasional Veterans Administration healthcare and have found the care EVEN BETTER than what I received thru Kaiser (at considerable expense). Even Bill Kristol, that paragon of conservatism, ADMITS that "VA healthcare is superior... but should NOT be what is available to the populace at large." So, lady, I ask you: if the VA care is so good, and comes at 1/3 below most private health insurance-- get that: BELOW-- what gripe would YOU have about it? Here's another: the Post Office is a quasi-governmental entity. Yes, true, look it up. The reason that it doesn't make money: they don't charge enough. Oh, you ask. Yes, OH!!!! Compare what UPS or FedEx charges vs. what the P.O. charges. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together could see that every time you mail a letter at the P.O. and it gets across the country in 3 days or so, for 44 cents, YOU are STEALING from the P.O. But of course, you'd whimper like a baby if the P.O. charged a dollar or two, which would STILL be half -or less- than the aforementioned delivery companies. What, you might ask, makes the P.O. such a money-pit? Well, there are healthcare costs and pensions and operating expenses, to be sure. Lemme ask ya this, ma'am: junk mail: ever get it? Ever want it? Ever stop it? The P.O. should get out of that part of the mail business. That would lead to lower operating costs, less wear-and-tear on the carriers, less fuel, etc etc etc. Less wasted paper, ad infinitum. That would ALSO allow a private mailer to engage in that business, except that junk mail is charged a LOWER postal rate than our letters... so a private mailer either has NO incentive or less incentive to operate at such a low profit. My solution: charge a PREMIUM rate for junk mail (to discourage it) or jettison it if that's an option. You mention DMV all the time (your 'side'). DMVs are run by STATES, not the Fed Gov !! Here in California, you go on-line, make an appointment, then show up on time, maybe wait a few minutes (usually LESS than what you spending waiting at your high-dollar doctor or dentist, BY THE WAY). Then your number is called, you take care of business and you're out the door. Same in Maryland and maybe a few other ADVANCED, HIP, MODERN states. I have NO complaints about DMV; sorry if you do... Anyway, as you can see, most government operations work well. National defense. Fire and police services (you were talikng about ALL government functions and their divisions, right?) Maybe the problem is more one of perception and deception: while it's easy to say "if you like the DMV, you'll LOVE Gov't health care" but it's a canard. Personally, i like BOTH. And the P.O., too. Also the Armed Forces, the cops and the firemen, too. Did I LOVE the fact that Bush's SEC slept while Wall Street failed? No. That was PEOPLE not doing their job, people from the TOP, all the way down. Perhaps THIS happened: Obama won 78 of the 100 MOST EDUCATED COUNTIES in the country last November... while McCain won 88 othe 100 LEAST-EDUCATED counties in America (Source: Former REPUBLICAN Congressman Davis of Virginia). Lucky me, I live in 1, and near 3 others, of the Obama counties. Might I ask (rhetorically, of course, ) where YOU live? Or do your question and stance give you away? But don't feel bad: this is Am