Here’s a great post on OpenLeft making a point I’ve thought of many times.

Whenever you hear a conservative going on about how “the government” is going to do this or that, it’s important to remember that, in America, we are the government! “The government” is all of us, working together, to achieve common purposes through a democratic system.

But, of course, that system can become corrupted, hence the need for campaign finance and lobbying reform.