Choice

This is one of those posts where I have this uuumpf gut type feeling / understanding about something, an explanation about something I have opinion of but have no idea how to explain it. I'll have a go, and think as I type, but make no guarantees about my ability to write succinctly, nor that you will be able to understand. Now that we've got that out of the way and my excuse for being ill-prepared is well established, the real post will now begin.

What is choice?
Why do we want it?
How much choice can we handle?
Do we know what is a good choice?
Can we be trusted with choice?

I made a statement about the reason I was voting Green on Saturday. It had to do with this topic. Admittedly, it came on the back of watching Sicko and thus I may be somewhat swayed by the message therein. Nevertheless, the thought of Australia doing more and more things like the good 'ol US of A is depressing me.

What is the purpose of government? Well that can be debated until the cows come home.
The world is very much more now a market economy, world capitalism.
In my mind, the USA sits at the most right wing end of the capitalism spectrum.
The essence of capitalism is that a market economy drives GDP forward and standards of living rise. So the purpose of government is to give us a certain standard of living?

Who cares about standard of living? It doesn't make you happy. Really.
Whose standard of living are we talking about? You and me does not equal us.

I don't dislike the idea. It's just gone too far. How so?

Too much choice.

Lower taxes, less services, more choice about how to spend your hard earned money. It's your money after all. And it is. But you can't be trusted with it. You see, even though you're not happy with education/health/roads/water/blah/blah/blah/blah! you wont put your hard earned money aside to pay for these things. Instead, you build you big house with seven bedrooms and three bathrooms and quad zone air conditioning and a pool and plasma TV and buy two cars and blah blah blah. And then complain when the hospital waiting lists are too long or the train is late, or the schools are run down.

I say, take the choice away. Let the balance return. I don't want to think about services. I want to go to work, pay my taxes, and know that things are taken care of for me. I want to not to have to worry about whether my insurance is up to date, or what the excess will be on a claim, or worry about whether the kids can get into the good school.

The choices I want to make are where to go on my next holiday, or what to cook on the BBQ, or what movie I'll watch tonight.

Money is not what it's all about.
Do you work to live or live to work?
Everyone should take a breath and slow down for a second.
We'd all get along much better.

I reckon we'd be happier too.

So. Freedom of choice may be better coined as freedom from choice.


I'll tell you this...
No eternal reward will forgive us now
For wasting the dawn.
--- Jim Morrison