The government, beleaguered as it is after a wasted decade, systemic maladministration and mismanagement, corruption and waste, rarely has the time or the opportunity to demonstrate the things it is getting right.

It does not help, of course, that we, reporters, journalists and columnists, have given ourselves the responsibility to point to the government’s failures — as well we should. The government does not need praise for doing what it has been elected to do...