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b_b  ·  4599 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What are the benefits of government that cannot be replicated?
I think that some large scale social problems can only be tackled by government(s). For example, you don't ever hear about the harm of acid rain or CFCs any more. Both of these environmental problems were not just lessened, but pretty much solved by treaty and enforcement. Neither of these would be possible without governments. I think in the best case scenario a good government is like a good umpire in baseball, where the strike zone is defined by good, sensible regulations. The government sets the strike zone and then calls the game in a way that makes it fairest for the maximum number of people. When good regulation is absent, things like the derivative market occur (I'm begging you guys to watch this Frontline piece).