Bonus Quotation of the Day…

by Don Boudreaux on January 19, 2018

in Reality Is Not Optional, Seen and Unseen

… is from pages 118-119 of Thomas Sowell’s 2018 volume Discrimination and Disparities:

“Solutions” can be a society’s biggest problem – and especially governmental “solutions” – because government is essentially a categorical institution in an incremental world.  When many desirable things compete for a share of inherently limited resources, individuals making decisions for themselves can make incremental trade-offs, giving up a certain amount of X to get a certain amount of Y – and at some point putting a stop to that particular trade-off, when they feel a need to conserve their dwindling supply of X and are approaching a more adequate supply of Y.

Government decisions, however, tend to be categorical: Things are either legal or illegal, and people are either eligible or ineligible for benefits provided by government.

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