Now, parts of HealthCare.gov do work. The front page layout with pictures of smiling insured citizens was designed by the smaller and widely respected web developer, Development Seed, which not only had a glitch-free launch, but put up their code to the public repository GitHub.com for criticism.

But, after GitHub’s healthcare page starting filling up with searing criticism, the White House yanked it.

Now, there are all sorts of well-intentioned reasons why the administration would behave in a closed, paranoid fashion. Republicans are circling like vultures for any weakness that could legitimize a delay or reversal of the Affordable Care Act. So the administration sweeps problems under a rug, in the hopes that they can sort out the mess later.

But these tactics are telling about the true values of the White House. When push comes to shove, it does not see democracy as a solution to problems. It does not trust citizens, it does not trust the press, and it definitely doesn’t trust the entrepreneurial spirit of small business.

Like a paranoid ruler, it only trusts what it can directly control. HealthCare.gov could have been a shining example of how an open exchange of ideas makes America a better place, setting precedent for a more innovative government generations to come. That was Obama’s big promise about the change he would bring to Washington. Now, our healthcare system is as broken as Obama’s promise.