My political ideology – “conservatism,” or whatever – is derivative of my understanding reality and the human condition.
There are human traits that exist nigh universally.
There are things humans can do – and things they can’t. Things we do well – and things we do poorly.
The best way to build and order a society? Is to acknowledge humanity’s traits – and accommodating them as best we can. To maximize humanity’s positives – while minimizing its negatives.
All of this humanity and human nature – is precisely why government is awful at everything. And why I – as a “conservative,” or whatever – want government to do as little as is humanly possible.
The pro-government-hyperactivity assumption? Is that bureaucrats you’ve never met or heard of – care as much about you and yours as you do. And that they will subjugate their self-interest – to serve you and yours.
All of which is in ABSOLUTE defiance of human nature. It never, never happens.
One of the ways I detail this – is via my Wallet Rule:
“You go out on a Friday night with your wallet.
“You go out the following Friday night with my wallet.
“On which night are you going to have more fun?”
Of course, you will ALWAYS have MUCH more fun with my wallet. Because you don’t care about what my wallet looks like at the end of the evening.
Well: Government is ALWAYS working with our wallet – never theirs. Because theirs is always empty – until they empty ours. And their Friday night never, ever ends.
Government will thus never spend our money as prudently, wisely or well as do we.
Does government really care at all about your well-being, your wallet or your wallet’s well-being? Heavens no.
Anyone who has ever built a house knows this.
I purchased in 2017 a 1950 shack on Goodland Bay in allegedly conservative Collier County, Florida. Six months later, Hurricane Irma flooded and totally destroyed the shack and everything in it.
After the federal-government-monopoly-flood-insurance ripped me off with their all-in $63,300 payoff? The allegedly conservative Collier County government got to work on me.
I conservatively estimate I wasted $100,000 meeting idiotic county requirements for my new build. They made zero building sense. They made total crony payoff sense.
Crony payoff? Here’s how that works:
The plumbers’ union bribes the county. The county then mandates a bunch of stupid plumbing regs that force us to hire plumbers for a bunch of stupid, irrelevant things.
The electricians’ union bribes the county….
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Oh: And does anyone honestly think these nameless, faceless bureaucrats care more about the safety of me and my house – than I do?
There is no way I am building a deathtrap – in which I will then live. Because human nature.
But these government flunkies jammed $100,000+ worth of idiotic alleged “safety” requirements down my throat. Because they care SO much about me.
Speaking of construction and government stupidity – reality and human nature?
“U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and John Thune (R-SD) introduced the Accurate Map for Broadband Investment Act, bipartisan legislation to ensure that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has time to update and fix the deeply flawed National Broadband Map before the Department of Commerce fully allocates broadband infrastructure funding.”
Get that? These Senators are praising themselves in a press release – for already having voted to waste an additional tens of billions of our dollars. The Wallet Rule – in full effect.
Because Congress has already idiotically passed and cut checks for “broadband infrastructure funding” – without first fixing government’s “deeply flawed broadband map”:
“This mapping plays a major role in determining state-by-state allocation of broadband infrastructure funding….”
This ain’t “Ready, aim – fire.” This is government. It’s “We ain’t ready, we certainly haven’t aimed – FIRE!!!”
Oh: And Congress has already – at least once – passed legislation requiring government fix its “deeply flawed broadband map.”
Trump Signs Broadband Mapping Law; FCC Chief Calls for Funding to Support Implementation – March 25, 2020
Get that? Congress passed a law requiring government fix its “deeply flawed broadband map.” But did not include any funding to actually do it.
But government wasting money on its “deeply flawed broadband map?” That continued – unabated. And has continued – unabated – for decades. To the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.
How this waste machine works is: The Feds dump tons of our cash upon state and local governments – that then waste it. It’s dumbness by government-to-government proxy.
“For decades, local governments have made promises of faster and cheaper broadband networks. Unfortunately, these municipal networks often don’t deliver or fail, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Explore the map to learn about the massive debt, waste and broken promises left behind by these failed government networks.”
Stimulus Bill Includes $7.2 Billion for Broadband – February 17, 2009
Biden’s ‘Historic’ $65 Billion Broadband Plan Approved by Congress – November 8, 2021
And everywhere in between – the government has wasted even more money on its “deeply flawed broadband map.”
But wait – it gets worse. Government all the way back in 1996 institutionalized its Internet spending:
“The Telecommunications Act of 1996 expanded the traditional goal of universal service to include increased access to both telecommunications and advanced services – such as high-speed Internet – for all consumers….
“Universal service is…the name of a fund and the category of FCC programs and policies to implement this principle.”
Over nearly thirty years, that’s been a LOT of money. The USF tax is on every phone bill in the nation. The percentage – every quarter year – has gone up, and up, and up….
In the first quarter of 2023? The percentage – was a nauseating 32.6%. We’re talking billions of dollars – every year. For decades.
Of course, cellular “smart” phones connect to the Internet. The government in 2005 took the dinosaur landline telephone programs – and added the Obamaphone.
The Obama Phone: Just Another Part of the Welfare-State Empire – October 1, 2012
‘ObamaPhone’ Program Riddled with Fraud: Audit – June 29, 2017
The government knows about the waste, fraud and abuse. They just don’t care.
FCC Kept ‘Obamaphone’ Fraud Under Wraps Until After It Expanded Program – April 13, 2016
The waste, fraud and abuse is so bad? Even companies that benefit from it – are disgusted by it.
Phone Company ‘Outraged’ By Fraud, Abuse In ‘Obamaphone’ Program – January 26, 2015
FCC Chief: Reagan Could Be Proud of ‘ObamaPhone’Program – September 12, 2013.
I’m highly dubious of Reagan’s posthumous pride.
And then in 2016 The Feds again expanded the dinosaur landline/ObamaPhone programs.
FCC Adds Broadband to ‘Lifeline’ Program in Party-Line Vote – March 31, 2016
The government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars – over nearly three decades – on Internet access programs. Without addressing its “deeply flawed broadband map.”
The government twice engaged in MASSIVE expansions of its Internet access programs. Without addressing its “deeply flawed broadband map.”
And now in 2023 – a couple of Senators are thumping themselves on the back for an attempt to address the “deeply flawed broadband map.”
After having just voted again for even more spending on the “deeply flawed broadband map.”
And, of course, Congress already passed at least one previous law to address the “deeply flawed broadband map.” And never, ever actually done it.
Government really is awful at everything.