Something Gerald Said...
So I was sitting in SFO airport eating soup, when my F/O (first officier) said, "We don't really need government."
"Huh?" I replied.
"Well, except for defense and police...we don't 'em."
I agree when it comes to many programs and welfare...the system is broken. We could come up with our own way of helping people and saving money for retirement...in fact, we already have! But to not need a government? I can't quite wrap my head around that one.
What do you think?
posted by Kathy at 11:29 AM
4 Comments:
I think he's wrong, and you are too.
His theory is that we only need government for defense and police can easily be put to rest when by just listing out other functions the government has that are essential in today's world. The easiest example that comes to mind is disease control or epidemiology. The government is in a good position to respond to pandemics. In his view, we can also stop inspecting meats, stop evaluating goods that come through our borders, stop regulating the currency and the economy. The environment? I guess we can do that on our own. Policing extraordinarily complex corporate crimes and fraud, we'll just let the police do that. Responding to natural disasters - only the Red Cross and supported only by private donations. Foreign aid? Only as charity. Regulating industries like, oh, say, the airline industry; nope, we don't need the government for that either. I could go on and on. I happen to think public schools are good, that public universities are a huge part of what makes America great, and that the government is important for parks, sewage, roads, public health facilities, etc. Yes, many of these things can be done privately, but doing them at the goverment level insures that everyone benefits, not just the middle class or the wealthy.
I diagree with you too. Only because of the many programs you could have singled out, you chose welfare. And I guarantee you that the waste and abuse we see in the welfare system pales in comparison to waste and abuse seen elsewhere (the tax system, corporate welfare, defense contracts, no-bid contracts, pork, etc.)
5:25 AM
Oh Duf- you make some very good points. I wish I would have thought of disease control and meat inspection when I was sitting there talking to him. It just didn't come to mind.
I just wonder what we could have come up with privately to take care of those VERY importants jobs. Perhaps something like governement...only not. How much coruption would there be in a totally private world?
9:25 AM
After gaining the experience I have with the major & not so major pharmaceutical companies and clinical drug & device trials in general, I am pretty sure any rational American would want the FDA out there. I'm of the mind that however messed up our government is, it is still incredibly better than what a lot of the world is stuck with. - JD
9:58 AM
Well, if you don't like the U.S. Government meddling in this and that or we need this or that, exercise your right to vote or run for public office! If not, then move to and run for office in Timor, Myanmar, Afghanistan, North Korea, the Peoples Republic of China, Iraq or Rwanda.
The Condor
5:01 PM
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