"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way... " - Thomas Sowell
"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." - Thomas Sowell
Even if I do, I am sure he is one of my favorites, and I consider myself fortunate he is motivated and talented enough to try and get more truth delivered to everyone.
I think of researchers who continue to be paid while following one blind alley after another. Contrast the entrepreneur who will put all the resources she can into an idea to make it work, versus the manager who will cut his losses to avoid going over a budget. It can be said that they both have different consequences. It might also be noted that they have different ways of avoiding consequences: the entrepreneur mortgages her home to keep her business going; the manager lays off staff to keep his budget in line.
In a sense, we all seek to minimize the consequences of our actions. That's a savings account at a bank is for.
If your next move - whatever it may be - could kill you, you might give it so much thought that you are paralyzed from any action at all.
Sowell, of course, was referring to governments. But, they, too, do ultimately suffer the consequences of bad choices.
Governments are not individuals and their demise is often followed by thunderous cheers, either for good or ill, as a new form takes shape. The impetus of a failing government is the folly of individuals not held responsible in any meaningful way for the consequences of their actions, thus providing incentive for risk, malfeasance and avarice, Were the consequences of failure as acute as they are in the private sector there would be a completely different paradigm. This seems so self evident to me as to be irrefutable. Even if it were not so. So what? It is still a stupid way to do things. I believe this is most evident among un-elected bureaucrats. It has been rightly said that they are who truly run things. As long as we do not elect people that will fire these people they are largely immune from their improprieties. Lois Lerner... Eric Holder... pick the head of almost any of the federal alphabet agencies... The worst that ever happens is they may resign with a pension.
Respectfully,
O.A.
And sure as hell, ALL bills should include a sunset or 'self-destruct' clause if they can be Proven INeffective. It'll never happen, but I can dream of Critical Thinking, can't I? :)
It is a beautiful dream. When they take our dreams what is left?
Respectfully,
O.A.
Note that the "Oath Keepers" who claim to adhere only to the Constitution must of necessity be commissioned officers. Non-commissioned officers and mere enlistees (and draftees) must follow orders by their oaths.
In fact, if we each took complete responsibility for all our outcomes, criminal law would evaporate. Being set up by a robber would be no different than being caught in a flood.
One of the arguments against corporations is that they shield individuals from the consequences of their actions.
One reason that the Viet Minh defeated the Army of the South is that the officers from Saigon never risked losing. Losing a battle would be to lose "face." So, they never dared. OTOH, the Viet Minh learned from their mistakes.
If you do not have the freedom to be wrong, you have no freedom at all.
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Thomas Sowell is one of the best minds writing today. I greatly admire him.
And elected officials can have good reasons for not following through on promises. In real life the job is different when you hold it. That is true of any job, in the private sector as well as the public sector.
HOWEVER under Obamalaw all that's required is suspicion of or suspicion of support of with nothing further added and with all civil rights suspended. One of them is a jury trial.
Ergo sum old law or new it would be an issue. What might be an issue if it could be proven is a thirty second trial with two verdicts. Paredon meaning to the wall for instant execution Desaparacida meaning sent to a re-education camp or whatever DHS is calling their concentration camps these days.
Since New Years Eve the latter is more likely to happen than the former. With the majority of congressionals voting in favor.
and example but has been actively articulating reason and rational thinking in response to the current paradigm.
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