The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

732 THE FREEMAN Decemberand more states are permittingand encouraging gambling so longas the state gets a substantial cutof the proceeds. In New YorkState, you need not go to the trackto bet on the horses if off-trackbetting is more convenient. Statelotteries also are gaining in popularityand respectability, with alarge "take" going to the state.Still, the state is partly in andpartly out of the gambling business.Many types of gamblingsuch as the "numbers" game, bettingon human athletes or teams,and other games of chance are stillillegal. It would be difficult if notimpossible to estimate the amountof money which governments spendunsuccessfully to enforce gamblingor anti-gambling laws - anotherexample of spending your moneyin a way you might not spend ityourself, given a choice.The ProblemMost of the economic problemsthat are left to the market aresolved without great fanfare. Weeither buy, or refrain from buying,and thus send a meaningfulsignal to the producer. It doesn'trequire a committee or a governmentcommission, or a popularityvote to make the decision. Ifenough people object to tail finson their autos, the manufacturerwill soon get the message. And ifthe decision of the market goesagainst the lover of tail fins, herarely makes much of a fuss. Butlet the decision be made by a governmentbureau, or even a Harvardprofessor, and a feeling of disenfranchisementis certain to arise.Practically all of the majoreconomic problems that seem sotroublesome are the result of someactivity of government when it hasgone beyond its principled role ofprotecting life and property. Oneof our most serious, with ramificationsin many areas of life, isinflation. Inflation is simply the resultof the Federal governmentspending beyond its means andexpanding the supply of money tosupport its profligacy.School problems, involving suchquestions as how to finance them,who should run them, who shouldattend them, and what should beoffered in them, are largely problemswhich arise because governmenthas assumed much of thisresponsibility. Little choice is offeredthose concerned.The problem of housing, especiallyin urban centers, is largelya result of the intrusion of governmentinto urban renewal, rent controls,construction codes, and otherrestrictions.Consumer protection wouldcause no difficulties if it were avoluntary thing between buyer andseller. Auto manufacturers wouldghidly supply seat belts to those