Not until they build a shopping centre on the Moon

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 10:31:34 +0100

Michael S. Rozeff on manned moon landings and what they tell us about whether politicians make rational choices and why we shouldn't pay for them:

The manned moon shot, like the war on terror, is an example of the inferiority of the political allocation of resources. In their choices of projects, political leaders do not seem to display a high degree of rationality, or at least their rationality seems distinctly below what common sense or even a small amount of thought might produce. The reason for this is that they have power to implement what they think is right or want without having personally to face the full measure of the consequences. They do not directly face the market test, which is this: Will consumers fork over their hard-earned money for the product? Politicians have a higher chance of implementing hare-brained schemes based on false theories. And if they can con the public, the degree of rationality falls even more steeply.

Fat government contracts to build stuff (think NHS IT or the identity card infrastructure) steal money from all of us (through taxation) and funnels it to friends of the party de jour.

If we thought these things were worth while then enough of us would hand over the cash ourselves to buy whatever product or service was the outcome. Wanna buy a manned space mission? Then go talk to Virgin Galactic.

Wanna buy an identity card?

Not from you.

Wanna buy a war on terror?

Not from you.

Give me back the money and I'll decide on the priorities thank you.

Curiouser and Curiouser! on taxation-is-theft

Not until they build a shopping centre on the Moon