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Government’s wins are often invisible: Systems that avoid plane crashes; alliances that avert war; surveillance that prevent pandemics. Government wins are often *the avoidance of loss.* So how do we tell the story of the destruction of government? The story of future losses *not* averted?

This question has been haunting me ever since Elon & co began their govt wrecking spree. Journalists are crippled in telling this tale. We cannot tally the wins because we cannot ever fully know why a war didn’t start or a plane didn’t crash. And we cannot tally losses that are in the future.

This is different than covering the private sector. Their wins and losses are easily measured in profit & loss categories. They do not count their wins in losses averted. And their failures are often hidden behind closed doors, trade secrets and NDAs.

Government’s public mission forces it to be transparent. Governments are subject to public records laws and public hearings. That means it's easier for journalists to uncover government failings than it is to cover corporate malfeasance. And yes, it is our job to do so.

People don’t want to move to failed states, no matter how great their malls are. They want to move to a place where they feel they’ll have a fair shake. Where they don’t have to bribe officials. Where the water and air is clean. Where they believe that wrongdoers will face justice.

Accountability is not free. It costs money to train and build a professional non-political civil service that is not just in it for bribes. It costs money to train and recruit for a court system that is independent and fair-minded. But the public supporting this wrecking spree doesn’t see that.

So we need to rethink how we as journalists tell this story. How do we write about losses averted? And the losses that loom when government functions are destroyed? I’m inspired by creators like @underthedesknews.bsky.social who regularly features “good news” about things working in government.

People have been 💩ing on the Federal workforce for so long they forgot what we actually do for them. They are about to find out.