Thursday, July 21, 2016

Guatemala: The Ground Rules (3)

One of the key lessons I have learned over the years here in Central America is that a gradualist approach pays dividends. 

You can usually tell the new arrivals from the so-called developed world. They are the ones that emanate a kind of residual momentum about them; the ones who still feel that if you lack something, now is always the best time to fill that need. 


But understanding that the best option is not always concurrently available 
— alongside all those not so great or plain mediocre choices  can be an important life skill here. In Guatemala, good things do eventually come to those who wait. 




1 comment:

norm said...

As in everything, there are degrees. A little bit or even a good bit is a pretty good thing when it comes to socialism. The whole hog? Not so much. I like the idea of a national health system , paid for with tax. Spread the risk and if you are flush, one can buy private. The old age pensions like Social Security, I like the idea and hope it's there when I get old enough to dip into that trough. I've never minded that tax, it is not really a "trust" system, I'm ok with the fiction. Unemployment insurance, not a bad idea at all. It keeps your employees from moving away for work during slack times, keeps the employees in food and housing. The roads, thank god I don't have to keep up the road out front, every gully washer has a crew out fixing the washout not to mention the snow removal. Things like eminent domain , no one wants a gas pipeline running across their hay field but for the public good, I'll have to pound sand. It is just the socialist way of doing things.

Is eminent domain abused? Everyday but I'm glad we have some way to twist the arms of my fellow hardheads.

With all good things, there is a limit, too much ice cream even, the government is pretty bad at making things, selling things, things that require incentive to get people off their duffs. Take making steel, the incentive system is the only reason anyone in their right mind would bust ass on a 95 degree day. Trust me, those steel workers are filling up their boots with sweat today here in Ohio.

It is all about balance, a safety net financed with tax and a capitalist system with sensible regulation financed with tax. Our modern civilization is not going to give up its socialist parts. Fire control, police control, military protection, roads, medical care, old age pensions, bank insurance, disability and unemployment insurance and oversight of the marketplace are all for the common good.