Drips


What happens when government tries to control behavior?
Rand Simberg makes a great point.

I'm used to the government telling me that I shouldn't hold up liquor stores, or kill people because they looked at me the wrong way, or that I have to pay taxes, or which side of the road to drive on, or even how deep to bury my irrigation system. I can live with those things. But this notion that I can only water my lawn at certain times seems like a whole new encroachment on my liberty.

Then again, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. Rather than defending liberties, which was what I was taught that the purpose of government was, it seems that modern government has decided that its role is instead to circumscribe them as much as possible.

What's the problem? Well, first of all, it's an issue of lousy weather forecasting. Remember what a terrible hurricane season we were supposed to have last year? The one that ended up fizzling?

Well, in anticipation of it, the South Florida Water Management District had decided to drop the level of Lake Okeechobee three feet, to reduce the chances of a catastrophic overflow and flood in the event of a storm last year. A storm that never happened. So much for the prescience of government bureaucrats.

It's the classic libertarian point.

Government gets involved to "solve" problem. Government regulation and actions create worse problems than the original. People are prohibited by force from seeking other solutions. Government denies responsibility.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Thu - April 5, 2007 at 01:50 PM  Tag


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