The Government As "Problem Solver"

Don't trust the government. Not if you want a problem solved, that is. Most of today's "problems" are the direct or indirect result of previous government "problem-solving" in the past. "It is remarkable how many political 'solutions' today are dealing with problems created by previous political 'solutions.' Three examples that come to mind immediately are the housing market crisis, the wildfires in southern California, and the water shortages in the west. "Why do we have a "housing market crisis?" Because the government allowed mortgage sellers to make questionable loans that are now "coming home to roost." The wildfires in Southern California are the direct result of the government not allowing people to clear out the dead brush in the forest, creating much "tinder" that later caused wildfires that burned many homes while subsidizing them to build new homes when they're burned out. As for the water problems, they are a direct result of government "water projects" where government sells water to people in what would otherwise be a desert, then "ride to the rescue" later when those low prices cause people to waste water and they're starting to run out. He point is, most of today's problems are CAUSED by government's previous "solutions" to earlier "problems." Why should we rely on the government to "solve" our problems when those "problems" were most likely CAUSED by government's earlier efforts to "solve" problems? (Thomas Sowell, 10/30/07)