Lessons From Squanto

Authored by MN Gordon via EconomicPrism.com,
Governments across the planet will go to any length to meddle in the lives and private affairs of their citizens. This is what our experiences and observations have shown. What gives?
For one, politicians have an aversion to freedom and liberty. They want to control your behavior, choices, and decisions. What’s more, they want to use your money to do so.
Here in the United States, bureaucrats, flush with authority, will stand in the way of a fellow who’s striving to find his own way by his own means. Licenses, permits, fees, employer identification numbers, state board of equalization registrations, workers compensation insurance…you name it. All this – and more – are needed prior to hanging out your shingle and making your first sale.
Many cities in the land of the free require school kids to get a permit just to operate a lemonade stand. And don’t even think of opening an auto shop, let alone a medical practice. You’ll spend your first year’s profits getting your hazardous materials business plan approved by the fire department. What a waste of time and resources so you can store a couple tanks of oil and gas and keep a couple waste drums to put the dirty rags in. Does all this rigmarole make you safer?
After that, your time will be spent keeping up the requisite documentation and reporting. Actually acquiring and serving customers will be secondary. Then, after paying federal, state, and local taxes, you’ll be left with less money than if you’d just kept your day job. Why bother with the risk if there’s no reward?
Perpetuating Mistakes Certainly, some government programs were initiated with well-meaning intentions. Food stamps, for instance, are issued so people can buy food so they can eat. Isn’t that a good thing? On surface, the answer is yes. But below the surface unintended consequences simmer.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Nov 23, 2017.