by Gerry Nicholls
If you’re one of those people who think governments can’t do anything right, well think again. The fact is, there is one thing government can do extremely well: Spend money.
In fact, over the centuries, government has evolved into the perfect spending machine. It spends without fear, without remorse, without pain.
And government spending is inexorable, relentless; no known force in the known universe can stop it.
That’s why Americans keep looking up at their “debt ceiling” and why the entire country of Greece might end up in a pawn shop and why Canada’s national debt is now even bigger than Charlie Sheen’s ego.
Simply put, politicians have not figured out a way to slow down the government spending engine. Or at least that’s the way it seems. But the reality is quite different.
In the first place, let’s face it, if government really was a machine it’d be an Edsel.
Secondly, and more importantly, politicians know full well how to cut back on government spending.
All it will take is for them to say a single, simple word, and that word is “Rosebud.” Just kidding, the word is actually “no.”
To cut spending, all politicians need to do is say no to bureaucrats who always want more bureaucracy, no to special interest groups and their special pet projects, no to public sector union bosses who want more so they can do less, and no to big corporations who demand massive bailouts and subsidies.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
Yet for politicians, “no” is a difficult word to utter. It’s so much easier to say yes and so much easier to keep the government money taps open.
For one thing, saying yes to government spending is a great way for politicians to make new friends. Just imagine the scene: An MP comes to town with a giant-sized cardboard novelty cheque to announce his government will help fund a new rink or a tennis court or a cricket pitch.
The next day the local newspaper will feature a front-page photo of the MP, cheque in hand, surrounded by a smiling and grateful crowd of ice skaters, or tennis players or crickets.
This is called good politics. And good politics almost always trumps common sense or fiscal prudence.
Why should the Conservative government worry about the pesky deficit when it can dole out $225,000 of taxpayer money to a hot air balloon festival inQuebec? And yes, that really did happen this summer.
Politicians also like to spend because it gives them a chance to show voters they are taking strong “action” to solve the nation’s problems.
If voters think the quality of our health-care system is a problem, politicians will throw money at hospitals; if a recession is looming they will spend billions on “stimulus” programs; if regions have high unemployment they will dole out subsidies to inefficient industries. Will spending money like this actually fix our health-care system, or stave off a recession or lower unemployment?
Probably not. In fact, in some cases it might even make things worse.
But that doesn’t matter to politicians. All that matters is they appear to be “doing something.”
Of course, all they are really doing is driving society towards bankruptcy.
Gerry Nicholls is editor of FreedomForum.ca