Dumb, Stupid, Crony First Responders

Following the crash in San Francisco of Asiana flight 214, Nancy Pelosi issued a statement thanking the "brave first responders." This is a typical response we now here from politicians whenever there is a crisis. It is an attempt to link rescue operations with government. And, indeed, the current structure of government results in its monopolization of rescue and emergency efforts. But, there really is no reason for emergency efforts to be government provided. Fire fighting was launched in the private sector by insurance companies and would certainly result in more advanced technology and techniques today, if the private sector was allowed to compete to provide emergency services.

Further, especially in large cities, there is a lot of cronyism that is involved in the hiring of personnel. It is not the best and the brightest that are always hired, but the best politically connected.

Thus, it is not a surprise to me that the same first responders, who Pelosi hailed, actually ran over one of the passengers of flight 214 and killed her:

An autopsy was being conducted Sunday to determine whether one of the two teenage passengers killed on the Asiana Airlines flight had been run over by a San Francisco fire rig at the crash scene.

The 16-year-old girl was found near the evacuation slide near the left wing of Asiana Flight 214 that crashed Saturday during a landing at San Francisco International Airport.

San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said Sunday her injuries are consistent with having been run over.

“As it possibly could have happened, based on the injuries sustained, it could have been one of our vehicles that added to the injuries, or another vehicle,” Hayes-White said. “That could have been something that happened in the chaos. It will be part of our investigation.

In other words, let me add dumb, stupid and crony to the adjectives describing government organized first responders. I wonder how the crony who ran over the teenager got his position.

This doesn't, of course, mean all emergency personnel are low IQ. It means they are caught in a government structure that will, at a minimum, make them much less efficient than they would be if private sector emergencies services were the general rule and they were working for them.

Bureaucracies are never a good idea in any sector, but it is alarming in the emergency sector, where life, limb and property are at stake.

The next time you here a politician thanking "first responders," keep in mind that it is propaganda for the state. And, that it would be best if government got out of the emergency and rescue business, since  government bureaucracy can only be about stifling creativity, productivity, efficiency and service.

Government is in the emergency business for one reason and one reason only, it is an attempt to justify government. It gives politicians a reason to stand up before crowds and pretend to be useful, to confuse the public, and to hide what they really are: taxing, coercive, lying, parasites.