The government regulates virtually everything you touch, every day. Why? Because if left to their own devices, humans would always screw each other with inferior products to make an extra buck.
The government is made of people. -
“If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind?”
? Frédéric Bastiat, The Law
Often the screwing for the extra buck is done through government spending, legislation and/or regulation. Farm support, corporate bailouts and subsidies, restrictive licensing, taxi medallion systems, government granted monopolies, "cash for clunkers", "protective" tariffs, etc. Government can and does act against such screwing as well, but its mostly through prosecuting fraud. You don't need extensive government involvement in commerce to go after fraud, and the extensive government involvement increases the screwing you talk about.
Partially because -
"When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators."
P. J. O'Rourke
They would sell you cheap light bulbs that create far more heat than light
Which is what many people want. Lower up front cost, less loss and less concern about mercury and such if the bulbs break, subtle differences in the light produced that some people prefer, in some cases even the heat is a benefit. Giving people what they want isn't screwing them. Trying to control them and only allow them to buy what you think they should want is.
Why do you think wherever more than a few humans gather, in any geography, the first thing they do is create layer after layer of government?
1 - They don't. It took a long time for governments to get anywhere near as complex as they are today.
2 - To the extent there is any truth in your statement its partially because they want to control and "screw" each other and layers of government are a good way to do that. (Also partially because others would organize against them and attack, defense against criminals and invaders is one of the most legitimate reasons to need some sort of government.) |
