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Problem Solving 101 by Mark Davis Exclusive to STR January 1, 2009 “I
can’t wait to get to The
above statement seems to be the general theme of the Democrats, as they
will now control the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.
It was certainly the theme of Mr. Grayson’s campaign,
as he proudly displays on his website that “It’s
(the election) about who is going to solve your problems . . . .
I'm going to start working, right now, to improve the economy, and
make a better life for everyone in Central Florida.”
Wow, everyone! Of
course all politicians are narcissists, but statements like that are
insane. The Obama worshippers
that say they "won't
have to worry about paying" for mortgages and other bills because
“we helped him and now he will help us” are equally deluded.
Do statists know of any other way to solve personal problems than
putting them off on others? Frederic
Bastiat identified this type of collectivist self-delusion over 150 years
ago and put it succinctly: “The
state is the great fiction by which everybody seeks to live at the expense
of everybody else . . . . Everyone wants to live at the expense of the
state. They forget that the state lives at the expense of everyone.”
Perhaps this is because people are taught in government schools and
through the media to believe such nonsense (ya think!).
Critical thinking has become a lost art. Usually
the only thing worse than the problems the state creates is the solutions
it puts forth. The state
cannot, ever, solve personal problems.
Only individuals can solve their own problems. The
problem solving method for the statist is as follows: (1)
Get emotional over perceived problem. (2)
Vote for someone to solve the problem. (3)
Elected Representative steals from non-supporters to throw money at
problems of supporters (primarily biggest campaign contributors). (4)
Recognize that problem is worse and interventions have created more
unintended consequences; repeat process. The
traditional problem solving method for individuals in a free-market is, of
course, a little more complex and goes something like this: (1)
Identify the problem. (2)
Determine the scope of the problem. (3)
Determine relevant factors and elements of problem. (4)
Analyze characteristics of pertinent factors and elements. (5)
Estimate primary causes of problem. (6)
Formulate credible strategies to solve problem. (7)
Execute best plan to solve problem. (8)
Review results to see if plan worked; if not, repeat process. It
is obvious that the statist method requires the least amount of
intelligence and effort, but repeating that process doesn’t bring one
any closer to a credible solution. Statist
solutions typically will make any problem worse and spread it around to
more people. This is because
free-market standard methods and techniques are replaced by laws,
regulations and taxes. Laws,
regulations and taxes can only punish individuals, not inspire creative
thinking. People will resist
and evade punishment. Thus the
statist method spirals ever deeper into the pits of despair.
The
fact of the matter is that most people recognize the state as the
underlying cause of so many problems; unfortunately, too many people also
think that changing the elected representatives will change this
fundamental fact. It can’t
because the system was rigged from the start.
Anybody who witnessed the Wall Street bailout package get passed in
spite of the passionate, overwhelming outcry of You
see, politicians are not competent to judge the proper analysis, much less
formulate a credible solution. The
use of lobbyists seeking special favors as experts to educate them further
corrupts this process. Finally,
they have only one tool: the use of force.
When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Agenda-driven solutions simply look around for someone else to
blame and hammer. The
free-market is superior at problem solving because it is really
individuals solving their own problems.
Individuals are able to process new information as it is uncovered
that changes the extent and direction of the analysis.
Individuals are able to adapt to changing conditions by changing
strategies to fit problems as they evolve.
It is impossible for the state to do this. The
statist can’t even adequately identify real individual problems because
they have a collectivist mindset. For
instance, the black lady in the video linked above who worries about
paying her mortgage and putting gas in her car must be considered a victim
of racism or sexism or both, not just an individual trying to make a
living. Victimology and
egalitarianism are used to alleviate individual responsibility for these
everyday problems. Agendas
replace analysis. Instead
of identifying natural scarcity as the root of economic problems, the
Marxist ideology of conflict is used.
Instead of the rational and peaceful allocation of resources
through cooperation prevalent in a free-market, we have conflict
resolution through majority representation conflict resolution (mob rule).
The use of force replaces the desire to cooperate.
Therefore, the political process must inherently be biased towards
preconceived agendas instead of identifying actual problems.
How can a process that can’t identify a problem be expected to
solve it? The
Bush Administration crashed and burned after high hopes and expectations
from his supporters eight years ago not just because he was incompetent,
but because the statist system just doesn’t work to solve the problems
of individuals. Obama
supporters are setting themselves up for the same disappointment and the
cycle will repeat itself over and over.
This is collective insanity. If an Albert Einstein/Mother Theresa ticket were elected, it wouldn’t matter because the system is designed to redistribute wealth from those out of power to the friends of those in power. Simply put, the state is a tool for exploitation. People that believe the answer to individual problems is exploiting others get what they deserve. I just wish these statists could leave the rest of us out of it. Mark Davis is a husband, father and real estate analyst/investor enjoying the freedoms we still have in Longwood, Florida.
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