Erick Erickson Show: S15 EP75: Hour 3 – Government as a Jobs Program

In this episode of The Erick Erickson Show, host Erick Erickson delivers a scathing critique of the modern American government, arguing that it has devolved into a massive jobs program rather than a functional institution focused on public safety and fair commerce. He contrasts this with the ideal of a free market, where individuals engage in arm's length transactions without government intervention. Erickson highlights numerous examples of government waste—such as the failed California high-speed rail project, bloated school bureaucracies, and fraudulent nonprofit grants—to illustrate how federal funding often serves to employ people rather than deliver results. He condemns the rise of NGOs and progressive nonprofits that, in his view, prioritize maintaining their own employment and political influence over genuine public service, often at the expense of more effective, faith-based organizations like Catholic Charities. The episode also features a sharp indictment of the SPLC, alleging it funded the very hate groups it claimed to expose, and critiques the 'anti-racist' movement for perpetuating racial grievance as a professional identity. Erickson concludes with a reflection on the moral compromises required in politics, using Kevin Walsh’s nomination to the Federal Reserve as a case study: while Walsh’s ambiguous stance on the 2020 election undermines his credibility for some, Erickson argues that his free-market principles and competence outweigh the need for ideological purity. He calls for greater grace toward capable individuals who must navigate political theater to achieve meaningful reform.