What a Government Should Do

Still thinking about a recent post on what people are calling "rape culture" (http://free-is-not-free.blogspot.com/2016/07/treating-sexual-relations-too-lightly.html) while I try to finish my first novel (http://joel-rees-economics.blogspot.com/2016/06/econ101-novel-toc.html.) Also, still thinking about "Brexit"(http://joel-for-president.blogspot.com/2016/06/eu-ukexit-what-why.html.)

When the US Constitution was put together, the legislatures were only supposed to meet for three months out of the year.

Too many people seem to think that was just because the country was too small to need full-time legislation.

It's true that the US was rather small at the time, but that is irrelevant. Has nothing to do with the reason for the short legislative season.

Governments should not be in the business of making laws all the time.

Let me repeat that, in bold:

 People should not be paid to tell other people what to do.

The only valid excuse for the existence of institutional government is to be an extension of the people's will to govern themselves. That is not people telling other people what to do, that is people telling themselves what to do. And doing it.

The tendency to tell others what to do has long been understood (Read C. S. Lewis, et. al.) as a false coping mechanism which people who don't exercise self control resort to.

False coping mechanism.

In other words, method of salving a singed conscience.

Since I can't expect myself to do the right thing, I must MAKE everyone else do The Right Thing! (whatever that is).

Making laws does not fix the problems inside yourself.

Also, making laws at best covers over the general social symptoms.

The only way to solve problems is to get people to look inside themselves and do what they ought to do. Each case is different. There is no way a law can be made to cover each case.

Unfortunately, we are not in the habit of having Congress pass bills of advice. Perhaps that would be better than passing so many bills of law, except that many people would refuse to see a difference between "official advice" and law.

And advice is really more the domain of religion.

(This is why it is so difficult to untangle government and religion. And if you can follow my rantings to this point, it's clear that complex law is the biggest reason religion should be kept out of government.)

So, what should government do?

Governments should do as little as possible, and encourage the people to do the real work themselves.

Get your own insurance.

Work your own job.

Form your own opinions.

Buy your own food.

Solve your own health issues by understanding your own body.

Etc.

I'd say, "Do it yourself." But that phrase has been turned into trite tripe by people selling you ways to "do it yourself" their way.

When you see someone who needs help, see if you or someone you know can help him or her first, before you go to the local welfare office. A meal now, a job later, so many things we can do without turning to the institutional solutions that are at best 20% effective.

Governments should do as little as possible, and encourage the people to do the real work themselves, and then get out of the way.