"Get the government off the people's backs," was the famous Ronald Reagan mantra.

Republicans love to look back on the Reagan era, and boast how wonderful it was during this era.  How absurd can this nostalgia get?

The hue and cry of businesses, large and small echoed the dangerous Reagan mantra, "Get the government off people's back" with delight.  

These business gurus obviously didn't want anyone closely watching their crooked schemes in action.  The almost total lack of ethical government supervision empowered them to operate fraudulent business practices without being busted.