The government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
– Ronald Reagan
President Reagan had many talents, one of which was the innate ability to take very complex issues and sum them up in very few words, the above quote is one such example.
Sometimes when we’re deep in discussions about government policy, structure or requirements we probably need to step back and examine exactly what we’re trying to achieve. On many occasions I suspect we’re just getting sucked up into the a vortex of the three dynamics described above.
The decision making process for policy related issues are rarely about technology as such, and often have more to do with running a country and keeping a complex economy moving.
Food for thought.
I liked the “trust, but verify” phrase that he made popular. I use it a lot in practice.
One does wonder how many of these actually came from Reagan himself, or simply him picking out key phrases used by one of his many advisors in back room discussions. “trust, but verify” was a translation of a Russian proverb that he often used in discussions with the Russians, so it gave it an extra edge.
Doing that well is a talent in itself.
Here’s a few more:
“The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.”
“One way to make sure crime doesn’t pay would be to let the government run it.”
“Politics I supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.”
Gareth