A concerned parent sees what is going on. Since the post is titled "Father Knows Best," I will fill the role of the parent (although I'm sure Danielle will second this). Dad quickly asseses the situation: Simple - Two boys and one toy - Scarcity is the issue. Now because of my intimate knowledge of my children (for example: Mason usually doesn't care which toy he is playing with. He just wants to play) I am able to play the arbiter. "Caleb you can play with it while Mason plays with this train. In a minute, your turn is up and it is Mason's turn." Oh the wisdom of Father.
Have any of you had a similar experience? Maybe you were the child, or perhaps you were the parent. I imagine every one has quite a few experiences like this in their lifetime.
Well I think people think of politicians in the same sort of way. They are qualified to make judgements on how taxes should be spent, etc. Some look to them with the same ethos as a parent.
I find this falling quite short due to one thing: information. Remember in my example that I can make this decision due to my "intimate knowledge" of my children? I know (or more accurately Danielle knows) who has had the most turns. We know their preferences. We know their tolerance levels and limits. This information qualifies me to make this decision.
So how easy is it to aggregate this kind of information? Really hard. You probably have an excellent idea about your immediate family, and a pretty good idea of extended family and close friends. It becomes more shaky as you move on to friends, neighbors, or those you are acquainted with.
So then why do people think Washington can make these kinds of decisions? They can't. They simply don't have enough information. We really cannot expect them to. It is silly to me that people make people in Washington into heroes in their mind. That does not help anyone!
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