Among the many life privileges, I enjoy is having this newspaper publish TLWH. Newspaper Poobahs call this a “general interest column” where I express my opinions and commentary.
I’m a social introvert. Although I enjoy spending time with others, I have a lower tolerance for social stimulation than many. I genuinely like most people I know, even though I don’t understand how some see the day’s events.
According to an online survey, I’m a Libertarian/Democrat. At its core, the libertarian philosophy is high on logic and low on compassion. I prefer logic and compassion at the same level, tilted slightly in favor of compassion.
Most people would find themselves closer to me than their favorite cable TV superstar or the politicians in their favored party. But too many people believe some crazy stuff, like, “Government should be run like a business!” or “Why did fire hydrants run dry in Los Angeles during the wildfires last month?”
Before addressing those two ideas and a couple of others, here’s some background: In the late 1970s, Democrats in Congress and the White House started deregulating trucking, railroads, airlines, shipping, and telecommunications. This had a profound effect on American industry and the people.
Party politics only mattered as I worked with our trade association to correct Congress’s inevitable mistakes in passing legislation. Sausage-making isn’t pretty, but having a clue to someone’s political affiliations certainly helps.
Should the government be run like a business? Nope.
A business’s primary goal is profit, while governments seek to serve the public good. These are fundamentally different goals.
People rant about federal debt and budget deficits, comparing them to business and household finances. They fail to consider that the government balance sheet has significant assets against debts. And it prints money (see the semi-annual “debt limit” debates politicians use to hammer each other. Congress has already authorized the expenditures; the debate is about which check-book the money comes from.) Businesses and households don’t have that luxury.
I have at least one social media follower who challenges me with the question of the dry hydrants firefighters encountered as wildfires consumed subdivision after subdivision in the Los Angeles area last month. The tone of those challenges indicates he believes they resulted from conspiracy or gross mismanagement.
Anyone enjoying a temperate shower when another flushed a toilet in the house, changing the temperature to scalding, should quickly grasp what happened. Fire hydrants and water systems are engineered to be available for a foreseeable incident. Despite California’s battles with nature over the years, no engineer could conceive, or politicians be willing to pay for, a system that would make water available during a conflagration consuming thousands of homes at once.
Next.
Vaccines work. The Bohunk and I raised four kids, now middle-aged. They were vaccinated against polio, measles, and various other scary things. No autism or other complications. Same with five grandkids.
Now, there is a measles outbreak in Texas where most of the infected WERE NOT vaccinated. The Feds have a role to play here.
The Feds have no role in deciding who plays what sport. An overarching organization gov- erns every amateur and professional sport, and that organization determines who participates. Congress and the White House, mind your own damn business.
The same goes for restrooms. Fifty-five years ago, school restrooms and locker rooms terrified geeks like me. They’re not much different today. Who cares if the guy next to me at a bank of urinals is in transition? Some dipstick in DC shouldn’t care.
How do politicians get to decide what kind of entertainment is appropriate? I’m not a fan of drag queen shows, or Lee Greenwood for that matter, but I don’t want a self-important wan-nabe dictating what art is.
The whole pronoun thing went too far. I respect everyone’s feelings, but really, pronouns are pronouns.
I’ll close with this.
Local to federal government has made government secrecy the default through employment contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and less overt threats to elected boards and employees. If that doesn’t piss off the government as a business and other conspiracy nuts, it should. If not, we are condemned to see our country die in darkness.
