Some possible reasons for widespread fear of government

This is the first time I have read a serious analysis of why people fear government and exhibit such irrational behavior at public meetings.  Usually critics just put them down as "crazies" but this author takes a serious analytical approach as to why they behave the way they do and why there is such a widespread fear and distrust of "government." 

The Psychology of the Right-Wing's Anti-Government 'Death-Panel' Delusions | Politics | AlterNet

A lot of heavyweight thinkers have offered explanations of the irrationality of modern political behavior -- you know, behavior like Medicare recipients at town halls screaming about the evils of government-run health care, or otherwise-reasonable people likening President Barack Obama's plan to Nazi eugenics.