Two Goldbergian moments in the Wall Street Journal this morning:
This headline …
… reminded me of this:
DON’T JUST DO SOMETHING, STAND THERE
I’ve written many times in favor of doing nothing on all sorts of policy issues. In any debate, the law of unintended consequences is the conservative’s greatest ally. Pick a “reform” — from campaign finance to welfare — and you’ll find the law at work and see the wisdom of Chesterton’s observation that “progress is the mother of problems.” Child-safety caps have led to more deaths, because the “protection” they offer has lulled parents into greater laziness about leaving dangerous medications around children. Mandatory bicycle helmets for children seem to have contributed to a similar increase in bike accidents. Rent control makes housing more expensive for poor people and gives unfair subsidies to the middle and upper classes.
The other familiar bit was the Journal’s description of how the business lobby is approaching the bailout:
… the frenzy over Tarp could soon resemble John Belushi at the Faber College cafeteria line.
If there’s a story about volcano-lancing lasers next week, my suspicions will be confirmed.