There is not much concern from the socialist leaning pundits whether the big corporations are nationalized but do they realize what it really means to the people affected? The following example of a small company ( sole proprietor ) being nationalized might give them an idea of what it is they are really pooh-poohing.
Joe Kazinski ( a fictional cobbler ) has a corner shop where he repairs shoes. The government does an extensive study of shoe repair and finds that some shoe repair businesses are charging more than others, are offering different sole materials and completing the jobs in different time periods. Since the shop of Joe serves people in his locality and they would need to go to a further location to get other options this of course is seen as exploitation by the government, a burden on the people who want “good “ shoe repair and unfair to those who don’t have the kind of shoes Joe repairs. The conclusion in Congress is there must be a universal shoe repair bill to “fix” the discrepancies in shoe repair that the study has exposed.
The first thing the government must do is set up an inspection service to see if the standards it has passed into law are being adhered to. An inspector arrives at Joe’s shoe repair shop and wants to see his repair shop certificate and license. He examines the documents for display location, up to date issuance and if the required continuing education credits have been attained. Joe of course cannot fix shoes on the days he must attend classes and the cost of attending the classes is lost revenue. Joe must charge more to make up for these costs plus the cost of the license, plus the cost of the materials the government says he must have on hand ( even though he may not be able to sell some of them). Joe must provide a public restroom which costs him to spend more on toilet supplies and cleaning which is an additional cost to his income. He must have his books examined to see if he has not been discriminatory towards any race or ethnic group even if they primarily go barefoot.
Joe must always be on his toes ( no pun intended) to be sure he is running his cobbler shop exactly like the government wants him to run what was formerly his business. HIs vision of who he wanted to market to is clouded by the myopia of a government bureaucrat who wants everyone to have the same level of shoe repair for all shoes and all people with strict government standards that spell out what hammer and nails to use, what sole material is required for each and every replacement, certain styles cannot be repaired as they have been deemed unsafe and no advertising is permitted that is oriented towards tossing out old shoes (pollutes the environment) and buying new ones.
This then becomes the focus of Joe’s business, pacifying the various inspectors and regulations the lawmakers have dreamed up. They have no standards they must adhere to in drafting their laws. They just do as they please , spending other people’s money ( like Joe’s ) and tell the people paying the bills to set down and shut up when they complain about the burden they impose.
If this much strain is what can happen to a simple shoe repair operation what do you suppose will happen under a huge ( 1/6 of the economy ) healthcare nationalization? How much extra government will it cost us to be sure all is inspected and licensed and regulated? How many will need to be hired under the government payroll to be sure the new laws are enforced? How much investigating will need to occur to insure that there is no fraud in payments or benefits? It takes a doctor several years to learn to be a doctor but it only takes a politician one election ( and no training ) to attain the position where he can tell the doctor how to practice. What is wrong with this picture? People advocating “ there ought to be a law “ have given free rein to a government that needed to be bridled and instead was allowed to run rampant with any simple whim it got in its one sided brain. There ought to have been a law that said . “ Don’t make laws that violate individual rights as you the government was created to protect these rights of your constituents.
Returning to Joe the Cobbler. What happens to Joe under this regulation and expense? Joe makes an honest effort to comply although his vision of what he wanted his shop to be has been destroyed. He now stocks what is required , serves who ever demands his services and is constantly met with new regulations and requirements that eventually move him to decide the business is no longer worth it and he closes up shop. This of course means there are fewer repair shops and more people need shoe repair from shops that no longer exist. So the government decides to subsidize all new cobblers. They give incentives for starting a cobbler business like interest free loans with the catch that whatever shop is started up must comply with all regulations. Since no one can make money with the regulations and taxes only the fly by nights get the government issued funds and fold as soon as the subsidies are spent.
Meanwhile many people need shoe repair and the government lawmakers wring their hands at the shortage and beg for a cobbler czar to be appointed to get things on track ( so to speak). The cobbler czar hardly knows how to tie his own shoes so he decides to bring all the cobblers of the nation together in a central location where he can oversee them personally and be sure there is enough shoe repair for everyone. Of course this means they must ship their shoes to the location and most get lost or sent to the wrong people with shabby workmanship and cheap materials. This is now socialism in all its glory. People who used to be able to go to the cobbler shop on the corner to get their shoes fixed must now send in their shoes for evaluation and possible repair to the central cobbler station and wait for approval and repair. There is no complaint department to complain to and there is no choice of materials. Just like when you were a child you will be told what to do and if you don’t comply you will go to jail be fined or both. This is the world of socialism full blown for all those who want to be treated like children instead of adults. Socialists turns professional cobblers into barefoot children and think they have made a better world. Better at whose expense? Better for whom?
Tags: Socialism
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