Comments on: A Pestilence http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/a-pestilence.html where orders emerge Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:06:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Doug Ransom http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/a-pestilence.html/comment-page-1#comment-185948 Doug Ransom Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:09:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6873#comment-185948 I think this is an important example. People like liberty, but they dislike having their kids die in stupid accidents. This is a pretty good counterexample to the virtues of Liberty and Hayek's idea of distributed knowledge. What parent knows about the engineering merits of swimming pool design and which kinds to allow their kids into? Do they have to inspect each pool for a private certification of safety to a given standard? It is pretty convenient to know if your kids are visiting someone with a swimming pool you have a high degree of confidence that pool meets local building codes. I think this is an important example. People like liberty, but they dislike having their kids die in stupid accidents. This is a pretty good counterexample to the virtues of Liberty and Hayek’s idea of distributed knowledge.

What parent knows about the engineering merits of swimming pool design and which kinds to allow their kids into? Do they have to inspect each pool for a private certification of safety to a given standard? It is pretty convenient to know if your kids are visiting someone with a swimming pool you have a high degree of confidence that pool meets local building codes.

]]> By: James Hanley http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/a-pestilence.html/comment-page-1#comment-185773 James Hanley Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:01:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6873#comment-185773 "So, you really feel represented? I think the metaphor hits the mark dead center because I don't feel represented." The point is not whether one person, or even a bunch of us feel represented (no, none of my "representatives" are very representative of me, either), but whether the public, collectively, gets to select them or not. However imperfect, we do have an actual democracy now, which makes today not very comparable to 1776--when the primary complaint was that they didn't have any democratic participation. Similar response to Michael Smith, above. However much he and I may dislike President Obama, Obama is in fact fit to be the president of a free people, because the free people voted for him. All that really matters in this case is the number "1." 1 kid per year, in the tens of thousands of swimming pools in this country, and the millions of kids swimming in them. By all means, let people know the (minimal) danger, but obviously this is too minimal to require such a determined bureaucratic response. “So, you really feel represented? I think the metaphor hits the mark dead center because I don’t feel represented.”

The point is not whether one person, or even a bunch of us feel represented (no, none of my “representatives” are very representative of me, either), but whether the public, collectively, gets to select them or not. However imperfect, we do have an actual democracy now, which makes today not very comparable to 1776–when the primary complaint was that they didn’t have any democratic participation.

Similar response to Michael Smith, above. However much he and I may dislike President Obama, Obama is in fact fit to be the president of a free people, because the free people voted for him.

All that really matters in this case is the number “1.” 1 kid per year, in the tens of thousands of swimming pools in this country, and the millions of kids swimming in them. By all means, let people know the (minimal) danger, but obviously this is too minimal to require such a determined bureaucratic response.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/a-pestilence.html/comment-page-1#comment-185721 Anonymous Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:55:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6873#comment-185721 Well I can't control how you feel. I'm not even sure what feelings have to do with it. I'm sure we could make changes to make things better, but you are represented, regardless of what you feel. Unlike the founders who were in no way shape or form represented in the legislature that made laws for them.I personally do feel very represented - I'm very much in agreement with my Senators and my recently retired Senator, for that matter and I suppose more or less in agreement with my representative. Well I can’t control how you feel. I’m not even sure what feelings have to do with it. I’m sure we could make changes to make things better, but you are represented, regardless of what you feel. Unlike the founders who were in no way shape or form represented in the legislature that made laws for them.I personally do feel very represented – I’m very much in agreement with my Senators and my recently retired Senator, for that matter and I suppose more or less in agreement with my representative.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/a-pestilence.html/comment-page-1#comment-185718 Anonymous Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:51:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6873#comment-185718 So, you really feel represented? I think the metaphor hits the mark dead center because I don't feel represented. So, you really feel represented? I think the metaphor hits the mark dead center because I don’t feel represented.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/a-pestilence.html/comment-page-1#comment-185715 Anonymous Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:14:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6873#comment-185715 I always find these "we're the real spirit of '76" instincts interesting and a little odd. The whole problem then was that Parliament instituted these officers (mostly new customs officials) without any representation of the colonies in Parliament. It wasn't the mere existence of officials that was problematic for the founders. That having been said, of course you can go too far with appointing officials. Why is the federal government inspecting swimming pools?!?!?!?! Maybe make a few laws about certain chemicals, but this is pretty goofy. The Declaration of Independence metaphor missed it's mark, but this is still a pretty dumb thing for them to be doing. I always find these “we’re the real spirit of ’76″ instincts interesting and a little odd. The whole problem then was that Parliament instituted these officers (mostly new customs officials) without any representation of the colonies in Parliament. It wasn’t the mere existence of officials that was problematic for the founders.

That having been said, of course you can go too far with appointing officials. Why is the federal government inspecting swimming pools?!?!?!?! Maybe make a few laws about certain chemicals, but this is pretty goofy. The Declaration of Independence metaphor missed it’s mark, but this is still a pretty dumb thing for them to be doing.

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