Mood:
lazyTopic: "Hund Scheisse CSI" (5)
Frodo loves to draw parallels. Justifying a particular course of action, or preventing it, is an end game in and of itself. For example, Frodo always listens intently to those who advocate a "Fair Tax," or that dimwitted idea fostered by nondescript Congressman John Linder (R-GA) and the egocentric misanthrope Neal Boortz. Frodo follows up the presentation with a simple request, "Sir, can you give us an example of where, or when, this system was successfully implemented?" The idea that a whole new system of taxation, untested throughout human history, would be put into place to replace that of the largest economy on Earth, at a far lower cost than any system in any location at any time, is ludicrous, at best.
Much of the debate regarding the Obama Economic Stimuli emanates from those who argue that the result will be a "socialist" system, and that the sacred "capitalist" method of economic growth will be supplanted by those not willing to work and achieve. Frodo is always amused when he hears that "government" needs to be run more like a "business." Frodo is one of the few who has managed in both worlds, and knows that nothing is further from the desirability factor. Every decision in "business" is geared to the reduction of cost, or the increase in revenue. Even goodwill is a factor in bringing customers into the fold when the objective is always "to make a profit." In government however, there is policy, and there are behaviors which are guided without regard to cost.
Government wishes to reduce pollution in the environment. It is impossible to quantify what pollution costs. Government has only the option to throw as much money as it can at a problem, like pollution, hoping that nobody tries to count all that money, and then to measure pollution "standards." Government does good if pollution is reduced, and cost is not the issue.
The point of this discussion is that, sometimes, if not usually, government does tend to wander somewhat philosophically afield when trying to achieve an immeasurable goal, like reducing pollution. In Germany, an exhuberant member of the BUNDESTAG has noted that lots and lots of citizens have dogs, and that fewer and fewer of the dogowners seem to be "picking up" after their canine companions. In order to reduce the pollution in the national parks and byways, he has suggested that DNA samples be taken from every pet in Germany.
This suggestion is not without merit. By taking a sample of every pile of dog poop surreptitiously disposed, then matching it against the computerized DNA Doggy register, the culprit can be identified and justice can be meted out properly.
Frodo rapidly computed a cost factor of about 2,000,000,000 Euros to such an endeavor (which is roughly equivalent to President Obama's budget for 2010). At least, spending the money on a DNA Doggy register would prove to be "shovel ready." Note also that if the Germans are successful they will have stimulated their economy and eradicated the current supply of dog poop in the Fatherland.
There will still be lots of poop in America.
