Government: The Only Institution that Grows Through Failure | Print | E-mail
Written by Becky Akers
Monday, 04 January 2010 08:56
If you want to bring down a plane, blowing off parts of your own body is not the preferred method. It’s failed both times nuts have tried it: neither Richard Reid’s shoe-bomb in December of 2001 nor Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s attempt to emasculate himself Christmas Day hurt anyone but themselves — and freedom.

Likewise, if you want to protect passengers and planes, trusting government isn’t the preferred method. It fails each time we try: neither the Federal Aviation Agency’s (FAA) behind-the-scenes dictatorship prior to 9/11 nor the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) overt tyranny since has protected anyone but Leviathan — and the beast’s corporate partners.

Aviation had the misfortune to debut during the Progressive Era, when Americans were ditching their innate skepticism of government for an unlimited belief in its benevolence and capabilities. That had some of the industry’s pioneers courting the State’s interest. Others who might have objected philosophically didn’t because of practical concerns. Planes require infrastructure such as runways and airports; Leviathan usually softens the blow of regulation with subsidies. And potential patrons needed persuading: bombarded with tales of barnstorming and daredevil pilots during the First World War, Americans admired the new contraptions overhead but feared to entrust their lives or belongings to them. Contracts to deliver the US Mail not only filled the fledgling airlines’ coffers but also reassured Progressives that they would survive a flight.

The Feds first focused on “safetyâ€