Eight little words

Remember what Ronald Reagan used to say? You know, the kind of rhetoric he bequeathed to those ten tiny little "Ronald Reagan conservatives" up there on that stage vying for the presidential nomination the other night? "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help you.'"

What an idiot.

I've been reading an amazing recent book by Tamara Draut called Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. Draut writes about Pell Grants, that evil, evil government program that subsidizes underprivileged kids' college educations. I hope the brilliant Ms. Draut won't mind if I render her bottom line on Pell Grants in language Ronald Reagan conservatives will understand - in nine words, to be exact:

Before Reagan, they covered 75% of tuition. Now? 40%.

Some may believe me in error - that, in fact, "40%" and "70%" comprise two words each, bringing the grand total up to eleven. If so, my apologies, and as restitution I'll render Tamara's whole book in eight:

Kill government, and you kill the American dream.

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