I can go check out the economic experiments in Chile or Hong Kong or Puerto Rico, stick a piece of plastic in the wall, and cash will come out. I can give that same piece of plastic to a stranger who doesn’t even speak my language, and he’ll rent me a car for a week. When I get home, Visa or MasterCard will send me the accounting— correct to the penny. That’s capitalism! I just take it for granted.
Government, by contrast, can’t even count votes accurately. Yet whenever there are problems, people turn to government. Despite the central planners’ long record of failure, politicians promise that this time they will “fix” health care, education, the uncertainty of old age, etc., and people believe. Few of us like to think the government that sits atop us, taking credit for everything and taking our money under threat of imprisonment, could really be all that rotten. And look at all the good things around us! What, besides our unique government, could have brought us such plenty?
But it’s not from the $3.8 trillion a year in spending, the 80,000 new pages of regulations a year, or even from democracy that we get such wonderful options as flexible contact lenses, Google, cellphones, increasing life spans, and so much food that even poor people are fat. We get those things from free markets. Government gets credit for good things even when it does little to bring them about.
– John Stossel, “Why We’re Losing” in Reason magazine’s June 2012 issue.
How does the saying go?
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, and I’ll continue re-electing the jackass?
As I read Stossell’s article, I couldn’t help but wonder why people keep turning to government for solutions? It doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal, both of those groups do this very thing. They complain about how horrible government is when it comes to X, but then when they want Y they turn to government as if they think it will give it to them. Then Y gets all screwed up, and along comes time for Z and they keep going back for more.
I mean, most people seem to realize if a restaurant sucks and you get crappy service, you don’t go back. I don’t know people who would say “the food sucks, the wait staff was rude, the drinks way overpriced, but I’m making that my regular weekend hangout!”. But that’s precisely what happens when people keep turning to government to solve their problems.
I just don’t understand that behavior.
But maybe it’s that “definition of insanity” thing… where you keep doing the same thing and expecting different results?
On the flip side, we are surrounded by the successes of free market, of privatization, and yes I think Stossel’s above example of accounting is a perfect demonstration. Not to mention the computer or smartphone you’re reading this on. But I guess he’s right… we just take it for granted and so we don’t really realize what we’ve got.
And so… we’re losing.
Stuff From Hsoi 
“It doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal, both of those groups do this very thing.”
THIS is a wonderful observation. The idea, perpetuated by seemingly everyone in the media, that there’s some sort of huge idealogical schizm between Republicans and Democrats, is an utter falsehood. But people read or watch or hear the pundits spewing poison everyday. Mind you, these pundits would be out of the job were it not for the perceived idealogical schizm that they work to widen at every opportunity.
This perceived schizm results in political gridlock. Any successful politician wouldn’t dare posit an idea based on rational thought, lest it lose them votes.
Those in power wish to stay in power, and one easy way to do that align yourself in one way and cast others as “evil”. But there is some difference between today’s Dems and Reps tho.
Democrats want to legislate compassion, and use my money to do it.
Republicans want to legislate morality, and use my money to do it.
They all talk of desire to bring us together, but their actions betray them… because there’s no money nor power in bringing people together. Alas.
“Democrats want to legislate compassion, and use my money to do it.
Republicans want to legislate morality, and use my money to do it.”
Another astute observation.
But I think being compassionate, and being moral, can (and should) be thought of as noble endeavors. Isn’t the end result of both to reduce human suffering?
Casting the other side as evil doesn’t seem to be getting us anywhere . . .
Indeed they are noble efforts. But the difference is LEGISLATING these things, and forcing people to hand over their money in order to enable and enforce that legislation.
Law is force, and we’re forcing people to do things they may not wish to do. Some people believe life should be extended and preserved at all cost, other people believe in “right to die”. Should you be force to accept and conform to the standard you do not believe in? should you be forced to give up your money to support that which you don’t believe in?
“Should you be force to accept and conform to the standard you do not believe in? should you be forced to give up your money to support that which you don’t believe in?”
Negatory on both counts.
But I’m not speaking to the legitimacy of any legislation. I’m speaking to how we, as people, behave towards one another. Perhaps if people can agree that their ends aren’t so different, then maybe the debate over the means will be less vitriolic.
I hear you, and I’m with you. As a society, we’ve gotten to be ugly, and somehow relish being ugly and bitter and mean and nasty as a good thing, something to esteem to.
I have a Demotivators calendar on my wall that says “Government: if you think the problems we make are bad, just wait until you see our solutions!” complete with a picture of the White House.
Sadly, too few people see it that way. But on the up side, at least more people are starting to realize that.
I don’t deny that government has it’s place. But nothing can be all things to all people, especially when you must TAKE from some in order to provide from others. That whole “governs best which governs least”.
Capitalism has not been supported by the fed under Bernanke. We can’t have prosperity without suffering. We need to support the producers and let the consumers suffer if they can’t be productive. Get rid of the fed before we are a banana republic. I am sorry citizens will have to suffer but until that happens they will not try to be productive. Get ready for round three of selling and buying our own bonds and throwing billions at the unions. I wish I could loan myself a trillion dollars and pay it back after I am dead like the fed. TurboTax Timmy Geithner & Big Bad Benny need to go first right after Oblame-a is shown the door. We the people…
Great post, Jerry.
We have to look no further than our Greek cousins . . .