by Ted Bauman
The Sovereign Investor
When it comes to diagnosing society’s ills, I sometimes find myself in friendly disagreement with friends, family and colleagues. We agree on what’s wrong with our debt-addled, freedom-starved society, but I tend to part with the consensus when it comes to why and what to do about it.
Basically, I don’t buy the argument that “the government” is to blame for everything. Sure, politicians and bureaucrats are a huge part of our problem. But I don’t think people in government are uniquely evil and/or incompetent. Nor do I think that if they would only get out of the way, the free markets would solve all of our problems.
It’s a comforting simplification, but a poor guide to navigating the real world. Looking for devils in government alone means you’ll miss them in the private sector.