The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help"

After listening to Thomas Sowell, who wrote a book on Social Justice Fallacies. "A thought-provoking Challenge to Modern Social Justice Narratives". I now understand the position of the USA Conservatives among our colleagues. Thomas Sowell explained that liberal intellectual elites often think they possess the blueprint for running countries, economies, and societies. However, the failure of socialism in Eastern Europe and the centralized planning in economies like the Soviet Union, although there were initial improvements, these efforts resulted in unintended consequences such as food shortages and economic downturns. 

Thomas Sowell believes that intellectual elite liberals in our Universities lack practical knowledge and hence may be unable to advise running governments. Being a software developer/ project manager, I know what is involved in running out-rolling complex solutions and various applications. It has also led me to understand that practical knowledge is often essential in producing effective, robust applications and systems. However, this has not led to a disdain for all elites and professionals and the belief that "common sense" thinking is way above academia. I have listened to people offer solutions to problems at meetings and with their common sense approach, not understanding the various interactions involved. Although some make points and expose us to a different way of thought or thinking that we have not considered before, which results in a better functioning application and helps us with the management get rid of unnecessary processes, this is not as common as some people might assume. What Thomas Sowell was talking about is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. He claims each solution should be a bottom-up rather than a top-down one. Not considering that it may cost less and, as a result of standardization, will be more effective. I have listened to people provide arguments on the state of the universe, rotation of the Earth, reason for seasons, age of the Earth, spread of COVID, etc. It led me to believe that some people do not know what they are talking about and some people shouldn't vote talk instead of giving their opinion. They need to understand what makes the Earth go round and talk less about managing it. The theory is grand, but getting things done will involve much more. To push the question further, can a collection of elites fully comprehend the complexity of a whole country? Thomas Sowell believes they cannot, and a "single central authority does not possess the wisdom and capability to manage an economy or society better than its members' spontaneous interactions and decisions". Hence, the emphasis is on small government and less bureaucracy because they are on the ground and can react to all the numerous minute changes that require immediate investigation.  

A lot of support should be given to someone who has done it before, as governance is complex and has many problems and nuances not considered by the opposition party. In this case, Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi, however, could say the same of Mohammed Buhari, but one should remember the latter's circumstances. Buhari was not voted into power, and he took it by force during his time there, people complained. There were riots in the streets. The economy went into a down spin due to our international isolation and the fall in the price of oil. We were suspended from the Commonwealth. His government was seen as dictatorial and authoritarian and ruled by dictum decrees. 

Thomas Sowell believes that government interference often causes problems, he gave the example of Price Fixing of a particular item will or does cause problems. An example is that the government decides to fix the prices of room renting. This leads to no more houses being built as it they no longer provide a profit and the state of the houses are no longer maintained as for a similar reason. The house eventually becomes downtrodden. Slums, as for that price, morden well maintained houses are not sustainable. "Over time, this leads to a decline in the quality of housing. So, instead of more affordable housing, we could find ourselves with fewer housing options altogether".           

This, in a way, the Nigerian Conservatives love and the intellectual elites hate. However, they did not foresee things going on as usual, and those who returned money took more when they saw that Buhari did not have the teeth or the ability to rule a democracy.  

As said, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions", but according to Thomas Sowell, affirmative action in the education system ends up with a more extensive problem that it sought to solve. We Nigerians have noticed that the "Quota System" and "Federal Character" have resulted in more problems than are thought to be solved. This was supposed to be till they caught up, but corruption and less involvement at the state and federal levels have resulted in a vicious cycle. But at the same time numerous individuals in the North would have never gone to school or university if it were not for the quota system. The problem is now worse, and the Southerners who cannot get educated in Nigeria are now more overseas, hence widening the gap. Hence, in the South, it is expected to have a child being in "The Aboard", sending remittances to support those at home. In the North, it is rare. This was about $21 billion in 2022, most of which goes to Southern households. Thomas Sowell noticed that with "progressive crime legislation. In the 1960s, lawmakers pursued a series of progressive crime legislations to address perceived injustices in the criminal justice system". This, according to him, led to the increase in the number of blacks in prison and the rise in the number of single black mothers. I find it hard to believe as I know that the war on drugs led to the increase in the incarceration of blacks in prison. Also, the rise of single mothers is due to various factors. He believes that as a result of trying to solve problems, we end up with unintended consequences. He believes that as Ronald Reagan did, "Government is the Problem" and "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help".

Personally, I believe that Thomas Sowell is talking about a Conservative and someone who has done well for himself. Solving each problem on its own merit is excellent, as each problem is unique. However, it will cost millions. Private stores like M&S, etc, that are effective and make millions have a standardized way of producing their services, making them cheaper and more effective. Of course, there are some aberrations or outliers, but these are the exceptions rather than the norm. These can be dealt with by another process, i.e. online or specific stores. I am a tall individual with big feet, and most of the time, they do not have my size, and I have to go to the central office or order online.  To solve a complex and extensive problem, the government has the resources and the interest of the people, for which it is responsible to act in its best interest and leaving this action to private sector or market forces is a total dereliction of duty and irresponsible.