Maturity

E J Dionne began an article yesterday about what we lost on Nov 22, 1963 with the following:  

"Whenever we reflect on the horror of Nov. 22, 1963, we mourn not only the murder of a graceful and inspiring leader but also a steady ebbing in the years thereafter of our faith in what we could achieve through public life and common endeavor."

Readmore: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/11/21/112263_what_we_lost_120736.html#ixzz2lHwhAKqv 
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I think that this is the kind of claptrap that comes out a very naive version of modern liberalism.  It is a liberalism that believes that, not only is man perfectable, but that it can be done in the short run.  They end up letting the perfect make them condemn the good.

Consider the main aspects of "the good life":

1.  Material - I think that most people in this country and certainly in the world who make a living in activity X are better off now than they were in 1963. 

2.  Health care - The same is true.  The "30 million" uninsured is 10% of the population. The percentage was higher in 63 since medicare did not even exist.

3.  Opportunity and Social Justice – Were at that time denied to a good majority (minorities and women) of the population.

Dionne and others unlike him are unhappy that “then” we felt that government could do great things and now we don’t.  What happened?

Well I say that what happened is:

a) that we undertook to actually do some of those things that he thinks needed doing,

b) we have made a lot of progress in all of them, particularly 2 and 3 and

c) those things are very hard.  (Find another country as racially diverse as this one that has even attempted to achieve social justice.)

So we have had a little dose of reality about what government can do and maybe some of what it cannot do.

It is called maturity and it is not a bad thing.
(minor modifications at 7:40 AM same day)