The Shutdown Is Providing Evidence Of Private Businesses Making Government Obsolete

[steve4102]

The government shutdown is just providing more evidence that the government itself is unnecessary. Private companies in the Yellowstone area are voluntarily paying to keep the park clean without federal funding.

 

Meanwhile, without being forced by the government, private companies are voluntarily paying to keep Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming clean. National Public Radio reports, local businesses are chipping in to make sure the bathrooms get cleaned, the roads get plowed, and the tourists keep coming. Even in the middle of winter, the park gets an estimated 20,000 visitors per month—and those hardy folks want to rent snowmobiles, hire tour guides, and take sightseeing trips. The private-sector businesses that thrive on those tourist dollars have a pretty strong incentive to make sure Yellowstone remains accessible – much more incentive than the government has.

This is what voluntary interaction looks like.  Not one single person is forcing these companies to pay for snow plowing, however, because it is in their best interests, they have decided to foot the bill. Xanterra Parks and Resorts, which runs the only hotels inside Yellowstone that remain open during the winter, is leading the effort to cover the $7,500 daily tab for keeping the roads plowed and the snowmobile trails groomed during the shutdown, NPR further reports. Thirteen other private businesses that offer tours of the park are also chipping in $300 a day to help cover that expense.

There’s also probably a useful lesson here about what the privatization of national parks would look like. Rather than the corporatized dystopia of environmentalist nightmares, removing the government from the equation would allow businesses that have a vested interest in maintaining and protecting America’s natural splendor to do exactly that - and would prevent the parks from being caught up in the unrelated drama of whatever nonsense is happening in Washington, D.C. 

In all, it seems like a pretty straightforward lesson about how private businesses will respond to changing market conditions and incentives. Keeping the park accessible means those businesses can continue to profit off tourists, government shutdown or not.  The market has responded and as government becomes more obsolete and people begin to realize they can live their lives without a master dictating their every move and stealing their money, there will be more and more stories such as this that come to light.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-13/shutdown-providing-evidence-private-businesses-making-government-obsolete

[Moshe]

I am cool with the shutdown, as long as EVERYTHING is shutdown.  No money for anything whatsoever, the Government would fund.

[Dric902]

I bet that would happen with a lot of the other stuff that the government does.

lets try it and see

 

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[Huaco Kid]

Disband the TSA.

[Bish1309]

1 hour ago, Huaco Kid said:

Disband the TSA.

Why stop there?

[Moshe]

1 hour ago, Huaco Kid said:

Disband the TSA.

I remember going through airports working before TSA, when they were private security.  They tried to stop me on official business, and I told them to piss off and leave me alone.  All he could say was, "Yes, sir," and be on his way.  Now TSA is running things, and from what I saw going through Miami to Bolivia, looked like thugs who had not passed a background check yet.

[Moshe]

On the positive side,   I went back to my old office for the first time in about two years.  I didn't recognize a soul, except the guy I used to work with who is now the Supervisor.  Dropped off chili, cornbread, and 2 liter cokes.  Why?  Because, they aren't getting a paycheck, and are still hard at work.  I don't care what people think, but law enforcement is a brotherhood.  We take care of our own.

[gwalchmai]

3 hours ago, steve4102 said:

Not one single person is forcing these companies to pay for snow plowing, however, because it is in their best interests, they have decided to foot the bill.

It's almost as if some invisible hand were guiding their self-interested actions toward the common good...