Big Government and Burglary

My parents’ house was broken into today, and for me it drove home the ridiculousness of the fixation on big government and onerous regulation. Someone crawled in their kitchen window left open by the cleaning lady, and helped themselves to the big screen television, the laptop, and a few heirlooms. It certainly isn’t the first robbery ever committed, and it won’t be the last. People can’t be trusted not to take things that belong to others. Regardless of the justifications given for and merits of such acts, they will continue to happen as long as we are human. Likewise, when companies are allowed to self-regulate, there will be those who will take shortcuts to profit, and there will be oil spills and financial collapses. When industry is allowed to control worker hours, wages, and workplace conditions, there are sweat shops. What government can do is protect us and our property from greed and short term thinking. The size of government is immaterial to that task. The effectiveness of government is what matters. People will always be people. That’s why we have governments in the first place. People will always people, that’s why we need to be reminded why we have governments. It would be nice if there was a way to remind folks short of breaking into their homes.