Running Government Like a Business: Things We Wish President Obama Would Learn

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Permalink Reply by Mick on November 12, 2009 at 6:22pm

This editorial starts with a flawed premise and then continues to use that as a foundation for an argument.

"Peter F. Drucker believed governments must be managed for economic results... and not for moral causes that inevitably become result-less activities."

Governments should surely be run to grow and maintain the happiness all its the people (didn't something once start with the words "We the people"??). If money is the measure of success then humanity is doomed simply because using the laissez faire low regulation low tax approach that is typically presented as the most effective way of growing wealth ultimately results in the accumulation of wealth into fewer and fewer hands. The effect is to forgo the happiness of the people for the happiness of a small group of people.

The article presents Germany as an example of failure, but having once lived for 5 years in Germany I argue from experience that Germany is an example of success for its people - it has for example improved the lives of half its population.

We know the laissez faire approach of the 1890's America was a failure that amongst other things advocated mass immigration to ensure that there was high unemployment and therefore poor conditions and low pay rates for workers.

I prefer something that doesn't pretend to be high brow - Oprah. She had some women from Denmark on her show. They talked about why they are the happiest country on earth; national healthcare for all, national college education for all, a much flatter pay structure (people do what they enjoy and are happy, rather than doing what simply pays the most). Oprah said "But isn't this socialism?", one of the women replied "we think of it as being a civilized country".

Mick

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