Imagine a Britain in which the lifeboat service was run by the government. No doubt it would be as effective as our state school system, as compassionate as the your local welfare office and as financially accountable as the NHS. Then let's imagine that a group of libertarians suggested privatising the lifeboats and have them run by a charity that offered no pay to the crews. All hell would break loose. We would be condemned as a bunch of hard-hearted capitalists. Politicians of all stripes and journalists in the
legacy media would have a field day attacking us. But our lifeboats
are privatised, thank goodness. That's why they are so effective, as I read
here this morning:
In The 80 years since the Royal National Lifeboat Institution took over the Aberdeen lifeboat station on New Year's Day 1925, its volunteers have saved the lives of over 300 people.
The RNLI hasn't always operated the Aberdeen lifeboat:
The national charity took over the Aberdeen lifeboat station, which had been controlled by Aberdeen Harbour Commission, following the wrecking of the Imperial Prince at Belhelvie Sands in 1923, when the harbour-operated station was criticised for the state of the lifeboats and the lack of funds given for them.
I can't help wondering about the kind of improvements we'll see when we get round to privatising
all unnecessary government functions.
1 comment:
Comments made on previous template:
Stuart
Not sure I agree with you.
But here is a topical update:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4149331.stm
5 January 2005, 21:01:28 GMT
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David Malloch
Yes it may indeed be 'self-confirmation', but generally it is true. Look at where the state and the private sector do the same job, it is usually the private sector which does it better.
Private schools for example are better than state ones, there is of course other factors to consider, but the benefits of non state education could - if the will was there - be distributed to a much greater number of people than at present. The will is of course not there.
Private healthcare is also much better than that which the state provides, like schools there are other factors involved, but also like schools only ideological opposition prevents this benefit being spread wider than it currently is.
3 January 2005, 17:40:54 GMT
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Neil Craig
I don't see that there is anything wrong with bringing an article published elsewhere to our attention. In any case David put in the legacy media link - as they say in Hollywood using one source may be "homage" but 2 is research.
Peronally I suspect that if working a lifeboat were as comfortable as social work government employees would be doing it (I am being slightly unfair - the navy does a lot of rescue work too).
3 January 2005, 17:04:02 GMT
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Mark Holland
Well I thought it was a fine post. I wonder why K Harris is quite so stroppy. Too many years with his hand up a green ducks bum?
3 January 2005, 16:31:29 GMT
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k harris
This is analysis? No, this is self-confirmation. Find a little story with some numbers in it. Claim it backs your view. Publish. Repeat.
3 January 2005, 15:54:22 GMT
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