1. The purpose of an editorial/commentary is to explain, persuade, warn, criticize, entertain, praise or answer. What do you think is the purpose of Charles Krauthammer’s editorial? Explain your answer.

2. What is the main idea of this editorial?

3. In his commentary Mr. Krauthammer states:

What makes the problem even more acute is that President Obama represents not just the party of government but a grandiose conception of government as the prime mover of social and economic life. The very theme of his presidency is that government can and should be trusted to do great things. And therefore society should be prepared to hand over large chunks of its operations - from health care (one-sixth of the economy) to carbon regulation down to free contraception - to the central administrative state.

…When it then turns out that vast, faceless bureaucracies (IRS, Veterans Affairs…) tend to be incapable, inadequate, hopelessly inefficient and often corrupt, Obama resorts to expressions of angry surprise.

He’s not simply protecting his own political fortunes. He’s trying to protect faith in the entitlement state by portraying its repeated failures as shocking anomalies [exceptions; abnormalities].

Do you agree or disagree with these assertions? Explain your answer.

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