November 28, 2008

Stop and Think

By Larrey Anderson
Really. Stop and think. What does your government actually do for you? This article is a series of quick thought experiments to help answer that question. First thought: Where are you physically situated? Unless someone has printed off this article and given it to you on paper, you are probably sitting in a room and reading the article on a computer screen. Second thought: How many things can you find in this room that were created by the government? Let's look around the room.We will start with the words you are reading. An individual (me) wrote them. The words I have written appear on the computer screen you are viewing. The transmission system that sent the words to your computer was not invented or created (nor is it maintained) by the government. (Al Gore's claim to be the inventor of the Internet notwithstanding.)None of the components of either the monitor or the computer that allow you to read these words were invented or created by the government.The screen probably sits on a...(Read Full Article)