Non-essential government? Then why do we have it?

"That the government could even have services it considers non-essential is ludicrous. It is a blatant display of an oversized government, with excessive programs." ~ Competitive Enterprise Institute.

If government is so essential to our lives, then the mere existence of non-essential government is by definition a fraud, waste, and abuse.

Now is also a perfect time to take inventory of the national government.  Any feelings of dismay over a federal shutdown should be dwarfed by feelings of contempt and disgust for an abominable federal bureaucracy.