Shouldn't believing in the concept of government be a prerequisite to governing?

The essential theme, raison d’être and primary message of movement conservatism is 'Government bad. Government always bad.'

So when movement conservatives like George W. Bush or Stephen Harper come to power providing good government is not just unnecessary, it is explicitly not in their interest as doing so would under-cut their entire justification for their existence.

After every grotesque failure of administration such as Hurricane Katrina, soaring health care waiting lists and bungled responses to one wholly predictable crisis after another - the conservative politician just shrugs and says 'What did you expect, I told you government was no damn good.'

Of course all they've really proven is that their government is no damn good, unsurprising, as anything else would taint their essential brand message.

So when Tom Flanagan chortles about how Stephen Harper has managed to incrementally achieve Grover Norquist's dream of shrinking government to the size where it can be easily be drowned in a bathtub and George W. Bush oversees huge deficits that literally bankrupt government with the explicit goal of handcuffing any future progressive governments to small government policies, they are being deliberate vandals with the express and stated purpose of destroying the structure that they have been entrusted with.

We can't be surprised; if someone tells you that your house is better off burned down, why would you entrust them with it?

Congratulations. Enjoy your lower taxes as you stand in the ashes.