A couple graphics at newgeography.com caught my eye:
National employment peaked in Dec 2007 at 138.2 million. As of Jan 2009, it’s 134.6 million.
The number of people employed by the government is 22.6 million.
Here’s a little trick I call math: 134.6 ÷ 22.6 = 5.96
More than one out of six employed Americans working for the government. The economic activity of five Americans pays the salary (and benefits) of the sixth. We cannot afford so much government.