You have probably heard of "The God of the gaps", where the unexplained is attributed to God/gods, but new discoveries shrink the unexplained, leaving less and less room for the supernatural to be the best explanation for observed phenomena.
Well, "The Government of the gaps" is very similar.
It's where people say "how would the mail get delivered without government running a postal service?"... until FedEx and UPS and email show exactly how.
Or any other thing "only government can do", until someone else does it.
It's why I am amused every time someone asks "But who would build the roads?" They are appealing to "The Government of the gaps"- and it makes them look rather dumb.
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