An Insurance Company With An Army

Krugman explains what the U.S. government really is in one sentence:

The basic picture of the federal government you should have in mind is that it’s essentially a huge insurance company with an army; Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid — all of which spend the great bulk of their funds on making payments, not on administration — plus defense are the big items.

I would have laughed out loud if my mouth hadn't been full of half-chewed carrot. Don't even want to think what that would look like on the keyboard. Okay, I forced the image on you. So sue me.