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AIM: maestrojed
YahooWhat is the purpose of government? Is the United States government too big or too small?
I would like to continue from the last post by responding to Andrew’s statement “The whole reason we have Government is to protect the common man, right? The common man can’t always be trusted to make the most beneficial decision to themselves and their community, thus there is government intervention to aid common man’s demise.” However I would like to move that response forward and discuss the purpose of government.
I disagree with Andrew. It is the interaction of every common man with every other common man that ensures that the most beneficial decision (for everyone) is made. Remember, just because you feel one decision is best does not mean it is for everyone. The Wal-Mart conflict centers around the plight of the small business vs. discount stores’ cheap commodities. A community, as a whole, may be made better off if it has access to affordable commodities, rather than being forced to do all the shopping at small locally owned businesses. It is only your (or possibly your) opinion that it would not.
Moving on from Wal-Mart I would like to say more on the purpose of government.
My beliefs follow closely to what Adam Smith had to say in Book IV Chapter IX of his master work The Wealth of Nations. Allow me to quote:
“According to the system of natural liberty, the sovereign has only three duties to attend to … first, the duty of protecting the society from the violence and invasion of other independent societies; secondly, the duty of protecting, so far as possible, every member of the society from the injustice or oppression of every other member of it, or the duty of establishing an exact administration of justice, and thirdly, the duty of erecting and maintaining certain public works and certain public institutions, which it can never be for the interest of any individual, or small number of individuals, to erect and maintain…”
Paraphrasing:
The responsibility of government’s existence should be and should be limited to three duties:
1. To protect its citizens from other countries.
2. A create and enforce a defined legal system that establishes property rights and personal rights for its citizens.
3. To undertake endeavourers that are too large, costly and grand to be undertaken by the private industry.
I would argue that number three has become obsolete. In the past, infrastructure such as sewers, highways, airports etc. would never have existed unless a government built them. However, today’s private industry has proven its ability to fund any project regardless of scale or grandeur. In fact not only has private industry proven its ability to take on these endeavors, the gains from competition ensure that these endeavors are completed and maintained more efficiently. I feel recent endeavors such as The X Prize proves this fact. What capitalist venture lies before the human race that is larger, more expensive or grander than space exploration?
That leaves two purposes for government
1. An Army
2. Creation and enforcement of a Constitution that includes defined property and individual rights.
Disagree? Then justify any other purposes. Can you justify denying a business the right to open?
Tags:
6. March 2005 at 16:25
Simply stated, the purpose of government is to provide public goods and services.
As for responsibility three; consumers would likely benefit from competion resulting from privatization of public goods and services (i.e. water and trash collection, roadways, and prison management among other things) We would still need government for regulation and the gurantee of individual rights. I’d hate to fall victim to a police officer who carried out the desires of the highest bidder.
7. March 2005 at 15:25
So you think the privatization of all public goods services is a good idea. I find your economic view of government silly at best. Let’s list a few goods and services that go away. Public schools, the wealthy get educated and the rest are home schooled if schooled at all. This should help further isolate our already paranoid society and promote ignorance and inequality for all. And will do well to drive any ever bigger wedge between the upper and lower socioeconomic classes. Water service, who do you call to fix the broken main, who builds the treatment plant, who maintains these, all of these wonderful philanthropic folks that will just assume the cost. Sanitary and storm sewer same thing. I know you feel that these cost are manageable for the wealthy, but they are huge, and you are looking to a group of people that would duck their taxes and do when they can. This would exponentially increase the need for lawyers to litigate these issues and adjudicate costs for installation and repair. This is much better than paying a utility bill that is run by a public utility company, with the good of the public in mind. All of these systems wouldn’t even be in as good of shape as our decrepit power grid, a private utility, which is subsidized by the government. To compare the X Prize with public utilities is simply foolish. Building a plane that can make it to the minimal edge of space, out of control i.e. 17 uncontrolled barrel rolls, and spear headed by extremely wealthy adventure types to further their own fortunes in space tourism. The cost of this space plane was less than a fraction of a percent of the infrastructure costs for last year.
Pertaining to last weeks subject
I also believe you are uninformed on zoning. All property in this country has a zone. These zones have allowable uses defined. Typically a municipality has a comprehensive plan. This plan is a guideline for the town/city’s development. So when a property gets developed in a previously undeveloped area the zoning typically is changed from agricultural to residential, commercial, industrial etc. So it is federal law that requires public hearings on rezoning held by a planning commission and town board. If one has been active in ones town then the town board should reflect the mindset of the town. If Wal-mart attempts to put its store on a parcel that is not slated for that use, then it is these two bodies that should stop this action. This, I believe, is as American as it comes, even though it is "legislating beliefs" due to the ambiguity of planning a community.
9. March 2005 at 14:03
Yes privatize these goods. Especially education. The public education system we have now is not working. The privatization of schools does not mean that only the wealthy can afford good schools (no more so then they afford better schools under the current system). Rather, we could utilize a voucher system where each student is allotted the same amount of stipend for school and then given the freedom to choose which school they want to attend. Then make schools
10. March 2005 at 20:19
The voucher system is simply a fraud. If we could shuffle our kids where ever the best school is via affordable, time and money, transportation, and not the currently overcrowded and with every moment more overcrowded roadway system. Or if everyone’s gas was covered by daddy with a nice new car that always got fixed for free, your argument may begin to have some validity. Fact is that to get kids to school the majority have to ride a bus. The current state of public transport in this country is putrid. We also have taken a step towards the voucher system with the, Every Child Left behind whom can’t afford it, program. This program emphasizes tests that require regurgation of facts and not wisdom. What I truly enjoyed about my Clemson experience was the gaining of wisdom in the field I chose and it shows in the competetive private world that I currently work in. Kudos Clemson.. Here’s a thought instead of grossly underpaying the public school teachers as they are now, make it a highly lucrative position. I guarantee, by simply paying the folks what they are worth and raising the competition for the adults, not the kids, will result in the desired effect. To be a teacher today you have to be a martyr, late nights grading homework, long days, and little thanks. I attended one of the top public education systems in the country, from grade school through H.S., and the only teachers who lived where I lived had spouses with high paying positions. These folks are the cream of the crop and can’t afford to live where they work. So the voucher system is bunk, case closed.
The issue with public infrastructure is design code. A cable company installs a coaxial cable, is a coaxial cable, is a coaxial cable. This is far from the reality of water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer. There are many different ways to put these systems together and what makes it work seamlessly, yeah as if that ever happens, is a defined code for a municipality or county. It is hard enough to get two municipalities to work together without going and dividing it even further. The most difficult systems I have to deal with are those that where installed by private corp. They are a nightmare, using any pipe that is available, not specifying where it is to be placed. You don’t know where it is or what it is, try doing your work this way. This is inevitably true due to what typically runs the private world, low bid gets the job most of the time. This is why I believe that a municipality that keeps the whole picture in mind, and not just the bottom line, can more effectively run public utilities. This is not to say that Metro districts don’t work. But they still adhere to the municipalties, in which they are situated, design criteria.
Also, I believe that we can agree that Duke Energy, Atmos Energy, Xcel Energy, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, etc.. are all private companies. These companies have all received government bailouts or subsidies. You are right, currently we do appropriate taxes to santiary sewer facilities, water facilities, and roadway systems. But what happens when the private corp screws it up. Are we going to send Kenneth Lay or the like to jail. Do you think the gov. is going to back away when a sanitary sewer facility bankrupts? Do you think they are going to let shit back up into peoples homes? No they are going to bail it out with your tax dollars because they can’t let have disease spreading rampantly. And then they are going to be behind the 8 ball.
Look I don’t think big gov. is the answer. But I don’t necessarily agree with ole boys first precept. The issue becomes, what is protecting it’s citizens? Is it having a disagreement and picking up guns and shooting people to solve it. Cause hey they could maybe have hurt us? I personally don’t live in fear, but I live among those who do. You ask the average Coloradoan why we are currently at war with Iraq and they will tell you it is because they attacked us. I have had this conversation so many times it makes me vomit. The spin tells them this and their fear fuels it.
Why isn’t the first precept: protect it’s citizens, from disease and other health problems, lack of the essentials ie water, sanitary facilities, and safe sustainable living spaces, ignorance, and also if someone’s attacking us. My guess is because at the time Adam didn’t know much about these other issues.
As far as rezoning is concerned, it is my understanding that rezoning can only be requested by the property owner. A town can slate a property for specific zoning but cannot actually rezone it unless it owns the property. I did become a local resident, and you are correct it took me four years, although I only tried for two. I had to back door it through being married to a resident. And the only reason she got residency that quick is because she worked for admissions, in my opinion. My suggestion is move out of their and come west, where they may be pigheaded but they believe in the American system.
10. March 2005 at 20:26
This government talk is cute.
The Liberty of persons as defined by Herbert Hoover "Was designed with the inherent flaw of self admiration". Maybe that wasn’t Hoover but anyhow, it is clear that people with money want to keep it out of the hands of gov’t cause the gov’t is wasteful. In fact people with money like to keep it from everybody. Except people who kiss butt and bring them dinner at fancy resturants.
War is my number one grip. I am a humanitarian. Read Tolstoy’s "The Kingdom of God is within You". So gov’t spends alot of money on ships and bullets and barb wire. And then we always talk about schools.
The public school system is broke. I agree with privitizing them. Rich people already send their kids to private school. And poor kids are not getting educated.
But lets digress. Jed better not write some more of this crap tomorrow. I mean hire a ghost writer. Adam Smith? As if he is some prophet. I bet he had zits and a body sweater like Jed.
Maybe jed will write about censorship.
10. March 2005 at 20:29
Maybe you can take the bus.
Just don’t sit next to gus.
He’s got hepatitis b and c.
Won’t you ride the bus with me.
I walk to work.
25. March 2011 at 16:24
The crisis is apparently over, but why exactly it began? I hope that thanks to your blog I can understand it.