In America, the conservative movement has an accepted axiom that "Big government is bad government".
While there is a germ of an idea here (there are a lot of government rules and regulations that are either a) regulating things that don't need to be regulated or, worse, b) stopping good things and/or allowing bad things), the essential idea that more government = worse government is false.
Once upon a time, we were ignorant. We did not know the dangers of radiation, mercury, foreign money on our politics, dioxins, asbestos, tobacco, Facebook political ads, cocaine, Oxycontin, pay day loans, global warming, thalidomide, AIDS, etc. etc. etc.
Back then, it would be foolish to regulate them. We could have outlawed bananas for their radioactivity while encouraging the use of x-ray machines to measure your foot size. But over time we learned enough about radioactivity to make good regulations about them. Once we knew enough about radioactivity, it would have been reckless to NOT regulate them.
The thing is, our current society is VERY good at learning things. Every year we learn why certain things kill you, and how to avoid them.
As such, every single year we need NEW regulations. When we prove that CBD oil helps certain epileptic seizures, we need new laws allowing the cannabis derived drug to be included in medications for epileptics. We don't want to to simply advertise that, because it will not become an effective treatment without the regulations.
That does not mean we should not eliminate the bad regulations. But no matter what, every year:
Are there bad government regulations and laws? Yes. Many. I can even give you a list to help identify them.While there is a germ of an idea here (there are a lot of government rules and regulations that are either a) regulating things that don't need to be regulated or, worse, b) stopping good things and/or allowing bad things), the essential idea that more government = worse government is false.
Once upon a time, we were ignorant. We did not know the dangers of radiation, mercury, foreign money on our politics, dioxins, asbestos, tobacco, Facebook political ads, cocaine, Oxycontin, pay day loans, global warming, thalidomide, AIDS, etc. etc. etc.
Back then, it would be foolish to regulate them. We could have outlawed bananas for their radioactivity while encouraging the use of x-ray machines to measure your foot size. But over time we learned enough about radioactivity to make good regulations about them. Once we knew enough about radioactivity, it would have been reckless to NOT regulate them.
The thing is, our current society is VERY good at learning things. Every year we learn why certain things kill you, and how to avoid them.
As such, every single year we need NEW regulations. When we prove that CBD oil helps certain epileptic seizures, we need new laws allowing the cannabis derived drug to be included in medications for epileptics. We don't want to to simply advertise that, because it will not become an effective treatment without the regulations.
That does not mean we should not eliminate the bad regulations. But no matter what, every year:
- Government will grow larger
- This is a GOOD thing
- Some jackass will complain about how government is getting too big.
- Made by the top officials, rather than the mid to low government officials. Congressmen, Presidents, Agency heads. They have less expertise in the data, more expertise in how to appease others.
- Based on politically ideas rather than verified new discoveries
- They have not solved or even reduced the problem. If the problem still exists and is not shrinking,that is a bad government.
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