Commercial vs. Political Power

Politicians will have us believe that true power and control over our lives comes through politics. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The more things are regulated politically, the less power we as individuals have over our lives.

Let us for instance suppose that we live in a country where schools are regulated politically. There is a common curriculum for all children. Every child, no matter their individual needs or desires have to go through the same standard educational process. The only way a parent can influence such a system is through political action. For this to be effective requires activism, campaigning and a great deal of persuasion.

However, this enormous effort is not likely to result in any change unless a sufficiently large group of people can be persuaded to join the movement. In many cases, where needs are particularly unique, it is impossible to create a sufficiently large movement.

However, in a private school system, parents can simply select a different school, more in tune with the needs and desires of their children. If they have children of different abilities, they can choose different schools for all of them. No activism is needed. There is no need for debates and persuasion.

This is true for any service or product. As individuals, we are far better off when things are freely traded rather than regulated politically.