tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2635741680233396994.post3431429263275099443..comments2023-10-11T02:36:07.723-07:00Comments on Grim's Grumblings: In the nanny state that is modern America, do parents have any rights left?Robert Fellnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10551521404344749815noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2635741680233396994.post-35977978142774327432012-03-03T15:38:26.145-08:002012-03-03T15:38:26.145-08:00Yup! But this is the nature of the bureaucratic me...Yup! But this is the nature of the bureaucratic method. The bureaucrat's only objective is to follow the rules/regulations in place. Even, if it is obviously wrong. What reward does he get for doing "the right thing" here? Nothing. <br /><br />Unlike the market, which rewards innovation and action that consumers value, in a bureaucracy there are no such rewards. In fact, the only way you fail - as a bureaucrat - is if you deviate from the existing regulatory framework. So why risk it?<br /><br />And that is why we have stories like these, and will always continue to do so. I'm sure the agent involved recognized that chicken nuggets are not healthier than the turkey sandwich, but, and this is the key, self-interest motivates him to prioritize keeping his job higher than "doing what's right", and risking disciplinary action. <br /><br />These types of stories are not aberrations they are inherent features of the bureaucratic method. In a market, where this idiocy would be punished by loss of business, and innovation is rewarded by increased profits, we see the opposite tendency.Robert Fellnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10551521404344749815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2635741680233396994.post-66358452016421412282012-03-03T13:50:01.814-08:002012-03-03T13:50:01.814-08:00Don't breaded, processed chicken nuggets have ...Don't breaded, processed chicken nuggets have higher calories and fat content than a turkey and cheese sandwich?Danhttp://www.xcopfly.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2635741680233396994.post-36253958305147165582012-02-23T14:39:12.374-08:002012-02-23T14:39:12.374-08:00As illustrated by your article, government’s best ...As illustrated by your article, government’s best efforts to protect children can be counter-productive and sometimes plainly ridiculous. As government keeps accumulating “responsibilities”, clear examples of its overreach are likely to become more and more common.<br /><br />However, I have doubts about your broader conclusion that parent-child relationship should be off-limits to government control. Should not the authorities be able to protect children from parental abuse? Admittedly, I have no idea where is the line beyond which the relationship can be defined as abusive, but some examples (take Josef Fritzl, for instance) seem pretty obvious.WarOnReasonsnoreply@blogger.com