I have been thinking about Kelo and the one hundred percent error rate of government planning for "developement". Any sensible person knows that professionals in all sorts of businesses are often wrong in their predictions of the future. Why would mayors and aldermen, merely expert ballot whores, do better?
And if there was REALLY a chance that the scheme would turn a profit, you could be sure that the businessmen would want it all to themselves.
Then I thought of an example, a parable in a way, that refutes the very idea of Marxism's, Keynsianism's, and Socialism's basic foundation, economic planning. The next time some goof is going on about things like "it will bring in revenue", or other Soviet planning nonsense, have this conversation.
You- "Let me ask you something. You live within minutes of stores constantly stocked with every sort of household commodity, right?"
Statist- "Yes, I do".
"Have you ever had the experience of going to the pantry or the storage room for something- sugar, toilet paper, anything like that- and finding there was none, that you had forgotten to replenish that item?"
"Yes, everybody has."
"That, my friend, proves that planning can never work. You can't even plan the needs of YOUR OWN HOUSE. You can't keep abreast of the 50 or so things you PERSONALLY use ALL THE TIME. Don't feel stupid, it's universal. If NO ONE can plan HIS OWN needs, how can you expect anyone to ever do even a mildly competent job planning for anyone else?"
And if he does not fall to the ground like Saul on the road to Damascus, make some money. Have him list 10 household items. Then have him plan his year's requirement thereof. Give him a week to do it. Then have him give you the sole copy of the plan, and have him keep a record of what he uses of each item. At the end of a year, compare the actual results against the plan. For each item that he is within an agreed range of the plan, (e. g., within 5 rolls of toilet paper, to avoid gross overbuying), pay him a sum. For those where he was 5+ out, he pays you the same sum.
I'm going to call this the "Pantry Proof".
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6 comments:
*clap*clap*clap*clap*
That's wonderful! I'm stealing it to use at tonight's meeting! My compadres will get a real kick out of it.
ThanQ!
Claire
This is as spot on as Joe Huffman's "Jews in the Attic Test" for which laws and government programs are to be opposed by liberty-loving people on fundamental principal.
And not to keep adding comments to old essays, but the next time my Leftist Brother or my Stalinist brother or their Stalinist wives mention running out of something and going to the store to buy it, I'll ask them, "imagine if you had to plan your whole year's use of that, or if it was rationed like in WW2." I keep trying. . .
Wow! That little wager seems to be the Just deserts of the standard socialist. Generally they see somebody making a living by working hard and say "Hey, how can I get a piece of that without working myself!"
Well if we can sucker them into buying their own stupidity, we can get a piece of THEIR action without having to work for it!
Bang on! I know people I have to try it on. (Although frankly, I know some people, intelligent, well-educated, good people, who will refuse to acknowledge the truth of this. They will insist that they, personally, are terrible at planning, but the government will hire experts who can be trusted.)
I've linked from my place, but may I post the whole thing? This deserves to be broadcast far and wide.
Oh yeah, this one's a keeper!
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