Federal Government ‘Public Servants’ No More

Having entered my eighth decade in 2023, I’m old enough to remember when the terms “public servant” and “civil servant” were used interchangeably to describe someone employed by the federal government.  Obviously, the implication—public servant or civil servant—was that they were employed to serve the American citizenry.  And to acquire one of those jobs, people seeking these roles had to take a civil service exam.

Servant … serve … service.  

Do you get a sense of what the expectation was, at least, a few decades ago?

Well, what the heck happened?  When was the last time you dealt with a federal employee and got the impression that they had any interest in helping you… with anything?  Was there any hint that they considered themselves public servants there to provide assistance to you?

Serving the public—or being civil, for that matter—seems to be the last thing on their minds these days.  But then again, maybe being self-servants rather than public servants makes sense for federal bureaucrats today if you stop and think about it.

Perhaps it’s as simple as, what economic approach does the person find most appealing?  Are they in favor of capitalism or socialism?

As most readers already know, “capitalism and socialism are economic systems that countries use to manage their economic resources and regulate their means of production.”  And as noted therein:

In the United States, capitalism has always been the prevailing system.  It is defined as an economic system in which private individuals or businesses, rather than the government, own and control the factors of production: entrepreneurship, capital goods, natural resources, and labor.  Capitalism’s success is dependent on a free-market economy, driven by supply and demand.

With socialism, all legal production and distribution decisions are made by the government, with individuals dependent on the state for food, employment, healthcare, and everything else. The government, rather than the free market, determines the amount of output (or supply) and the pricing levels of these goods and services.

So, where would people seek employment who don’t want to compete … who have no interest in entrepreneurial endeavors … or production?  Might it be where all such things are dictated for them … where they might become one of those actually dictating who gets what?

It sounds like their perfect match, i.e., it’s a no-brainer.  

Which is more likely to seek employment with a federal agency: a capitalist or a socialist?  

A socialist!

Anyone with entrepreneurial instincts or ambitions—or ambition, period—would opt for the private sector, i.e., would choose to work for a living.  Feeding at the government trough would not be on their agenda.

Clearly, this transition from helping the public to bullying the public didn’t happen overnight.  The transition has been ongoing for some time, but the recent COVID pandemic facilitated the change or, by accident, made it much more apparent.  

Control, control, control:  That’s what the Feds were all about.  It was obvious to some during pre-pandemic, but became clear to almost everyone after the fact.  

Was the government focused on serving the public?

No, not in the least!  It was all about control, control, control, and economic rankings worldwide prove it.

If you check the “2023 Index of Economic Freedom” put out by the Heritage Foundation, the United States ranks 25th of 27 countries in the “free” or “mostly free” categories.  Only Singapore, Switzerland, Ireland, and Taiwan are categorized as “free,” and in that order.  

American citizens should be concerned that countries like Lithuania, Chile, and even the United Arab Emirates rank above the U.S. in the “mostly free” ranking, and the U.S. is just fractionally above the “moderately free” grouping.  With what’s been going on with the federal government and Bidenomics during and after the COVID pandemic, it’s possible we’ll join Qatar, Botswana and Mongolia in the latter in 2024.

Juxtaposed statistics—the first being, “As of September 2023, there [were] 2.95 million employees in the federal workforce” and the second, “The biggest [private-sector] employer in the US is Walmart with 2.1 million employees” as of December 2023—paint a sobering picture.

(And “2.1 million” is down from 2.3 million the last time I checked, but that’s Bidenomics.)

Is it any wonder, the U.S. is teetering on the edge of the “moderately free” category?  And don’t the government versus private-sector employment numbers seem more indicative of a socialist country?

Then, when you consider what federal bureaucrats are being subjected to by the Incompetent-in-Chief—a.k.a., Incontinent-in-Chief—in the White House, the U.S. could drop down to the middle of the list, not just squeak in.  There’s new guidance for government employees whereby everyone working for the Feds will be required to use an individual’s preferred pronouns when speaking to he/she or about he/she.  Yes, “the pronoun police have arrived and are coming for you next.”    

What?  Didn’t we hear “follow the science” ad nauseam during COVID?  Where did that expectation go?

Earning my undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree, I learned there are distinct differences between individuals having XX chromosomes and those having XY.  Of course, having been raised on a dairy farm, I didn’t really need a B.S. degree to figure that out.  But now, the other B.S. has taken over in Washington, and government Marxist disciples will ignore all XX and XY parameters.

Unreal!  Maybe the United States will bypass the “moderately free” category next year and join Saudi Arabia, Nicaragua, and Russia in a “mostly unfree” slot.  But dropping from 25th into the mid-80s would be a pretty drastic plunge.  Nonetheless, we’re sure moving that direction.

It’s time to wake up, America!  “Mostly free” capitalism is dying and federal government public service/civil service is dead.  “Mostly unfree” socialism is on the horizon and self-serving socialist bureaucrats have assumed control.

What’s next?

Look at “mostly unfree” blue cities … San Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis.  Life in an outdoor toilet doesn’t look all that appealing, but that seems to be where the U.S. is heading these days.  

R.W. Trewyn earned a PhD after surviving Vietnam combat, and more treacherously, survived 53-years postwar slogging academe’s once-hallowed halls.

Image generated by AI.