The Bigger the Better Aformer conservative argues for the importance of Big Government. By Andrew Milner ANecessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of ‘Government By Garry Wills ‘Simon and Schuster 265, $25 ‘ ibertarianism becomes more popu Taracoss the plitical spectrum wth even President Clinton declaring the end ofBig Government, theres noth- ing ke spirited defense of strong cen tralgovelamenttosurprisetoday'sreader (Garey Wills, Wiliam Bucky pr {ge turned liberal whose books hhaveincluded a nonfiction bog phy of Rionald Reagan.ananaly- soft. Augustine and an equal with Necessary Buil,wetten an ‘engaging eitiqe ofant-overn- ‘entseatiment doughout Amor ceanhistory ‘Withrelsh, Will Acbnksmany longrheld mths eeebrating ant ance for the waging of the war orhir- teon different treatiod with England for nding th war” “Analyzing the ant-government stances ofeuch major American writers as Henry ‘Adams, Thoreau and HLL Mencken, Wills ‘oncludes that theirdetachment and of ‘liboppocitiontodemoeratie polities wae ‘Corrosive to public life Where athers im. ply regard Mencken asa politially ict fect gal for example, Willa inaata that ‘TheSageof Baltimore's political writings swore genuinely racist, pro-Nietziche and “intidemocrai...ntthe genialjshings of asatiristhutexpressonsofacontempt ferma-man (whom bocalled tho bosti)” “Thesuthorishardly naveabout the dan ers ofintrusive overnment:"MThereia” fe admits, “ample reason tofearanddis- ‘rust government, to probeit, tomakeit comeclean demand access" While Wills holds it was necessary forthe US. gover ‘meat tokeep the Manhattan Projet secret during Word War Il hecains thats secrecy afterwards was unwarranted and foothardy Nonetheless, Wills insists that sucessful social change throughout this ours hascome neha Secoding from government bu fam ‘working within thosjstam Hoos Marin Lather Kg Je-andthe del Fights movement an eae ‘obedience leading to landmark ‘changes in federal endstate law) withthe more violent anti-war ro: testars who, in Wis opinion, only lengthened American invalvereat nVietnam. De Kinghad voiced his we SE = government forces atthe txpense of Washington. Contrary wthebelitoat todays upportenn, Revaletionary eran ‘amen didnot defeat the British, As Wills docu Hien these silties servedexclisvelytomup- lement ary police fares, ‘while the Coatinental ‘war. And contrary tothe Contentionsofthe NRA, | olsra he writes thatthe over: ‘wa patriotiom in bis" Ive dream speci ling the words af the old Spinal withthe hymns ‘tho nation TheNev Lal ‘generated into expres: inst support fr Ho Chi Minh’sdespotismandthe buraingofthe American fag Anti governmental iemof hat sort does not destroy government; it estoy ital “A Necessary Bei con: Sorgermrso (GARRY WILLS) Screens ‘working firearms (ut ‘tabla abate appre: Ingextensive probatoresarch, Wille holde that ‘only 14 percent ofthe men owned guns, and 53 percent ofthove guns were Broken or unuestle?), This ‘ton formato gre ‘upon laws governing us. Where to cite Dbutone example, many sethe hundreds ftnolr pci ows earordensme ete tions upon individual free researchundermines neot With relish, doa, Willseantznathatthose thecorebeliefs of Second Wills debunks rulesactualy re the diver ‘Amendment supporters — ‘that gun wein America was many long-hela ‘leallweke every mors: ing tokouteareafunerain ‘univbraal before thefoseal myths ‘ermanes and al dare ‘foremment warestablsied. Celebrating anti- every which way. notheedng Willgoesastepfurherin Government (besten sgnser arch refuting the conservative siderequirement, any speed ‘canard,espoused by President © FOCOS ATH] jaws oerlos ofprecedence at aoe See eneeee es Ge ces See Vein an federal government "Wills ‘maintains by a thorough study ofthe Federalist Paper, thatthecreation othe ‘Constitution made the 13 colonies partot ‘larger goverament, noting, “Whe states ‘id not sgn thirteen diferent treatin with cradhingorbaingeratb int. Because specialized activity has provided therovds and the rules aa wellas the vehi le we peed on fixe” Pod fr tught thenext time you're stuck online atthe DM. (@.snilner@eleypapernet)