Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. – H.L. Mencken

Creatures of the state will generally argue that in these complex times it is necessary to have a strong centralized authority to control and regulate the activities of the general population. In reality however, the more complex things are the less equipped a central authority is to deal with it as it is too remote from where the action is. Smaller autonomous jurisdictions close to the local populations will always have a better feel for the needs of the local population, and as to whether any action is needed at all.

The following is a great example of just why government decisions need to be as far as possible decentralized to the smallest possible level.

From Ben and Bawbs Blog.

    Here in Fly-Over country, we have long been on the receiving end of endless mandates and edicts spewed forth by the “elites” on both coasts regarding how to run things out here. These dictates usually come from big city weenies whose feet have never left pavement (let alone stepped in cow shit) in their lives, who think meat is “produced” under plastic in the back of supermarkets, and who have never, ever had the occasion to “pee behind a tree”.

    For instance, I believe it was a female senator from New Yawk State who proposed Federal budget savings (an admirable goal if you know what the heck you’re doing) by firing all the cattle guards in the Western United States. The only problem is that cattle guards are not “guards” per se, but rather a device consisting of steel rails that is implanted in the roadbed. Livestock are not able to cross over these cattle guards. Thus, vehicles can travel roads freely without stopping to open and shut gates at every fenceline.

    These edicts, arbitrarily produced with absolutely no input from the regions affected, usually prove to be utterly unrealistic, totally unworkable, and downright asinine. Not that that is, in governmental logic, any reason to rescind any previous fiasco nor to stop spewing forth more. Read the rest here.

This is a classic example of an elected idiot thinking that being a member of the ruling elite, confers some sort of infallible wisdom.

Central government always pushes for a one size fits all solution, ignoring the fact that different regions have differing economic situations, cultural values, aspirations and so on. This combined with their unacknowledged ignorance, conceit, arrogance, and delusions of relevance, conspires to inflict bad results on most occasions.