KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
Jay wrote:
KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
Haha what?
You'll never give up on the call for regulations, even while knowing that the vast majority of them are bullshit. You admit that you're asking unqualified people to solve problems (that largely don't even exist) they don't understand, but you're cool with that. Whatever. Passion rules reason, as always.
Standards on foodstuffs are not bullshit. Standards on plumbing, electrical, structural are not bullshit. I'm wondering how you could possibly come to the conclusion I think the vast majority are bullshit when I clearly listed examples I agree with. I never admitted we ask unqaulified people to solve problems - agreeing that politicians with no experience shouldn't be the ones crafting the regulations is not an asking them to keep doing it! You try to bring up reason as an argument against emotion? I've offered up numerous examples (ie real cases ie not emotion) of reasons why regulations are a good thing. You offer nothing except some dumbfounded belief (that is not grounded in reason whatsoever) that business will regulate itself (erroneously listing examples of professions enacting standards as your argument) even though the historical record shows otherwise (as I mentioned with the alcoa example).
I'm irrational and basing my argument on passion, and you're being rational? Dude, are you on drugs or really this stupid?
Have you ever worked in construction? Do you know why standards exist in plumbing, electrical and structural fields? They're based in mathematics. I can tell you based on the psi in a pipe whether it will fail or not. Those standards came from the manufacturers themselves. They, working with engineering societies, came up with those concepts. It's got nothing to do with the government. Same with the electrical field. Those standards protect the industry as a whole from receiving a bad reputation. It's the same reason engineers are required to become licensed. It's not the government that forces it, it's ABET, a private society. The government simply makes it a crime to call yourself an engineer without having an ABET license. Frankly, any idiot can size and run pipe as long as they know how to solder, and avoid using metals that will corrode if they interact with each other. It's why Home Depot is one of the biggest companies in the country.
The same applies to iEEE and the electrical and electronics industry. Do you think the government looks over the shoulder of the engineers in silicon valley to make sure that the product they design won't kill anyone? No, it's due diligence on the engineers part and the fact that the company doesn't want to get sued that force it to sell a safe product. iEEE does a wonderful job setting standards for that industry.
Structural is the same as other engineering fields. Governed by ABET, but they deal with a million building codes set up by the local government. Out of the three examples you listed, structural is really the only one I agree with needing a strict license. If they fuck up, people die. You don't need a licensed plumber. We live in the age of internet feedback. Find a guy that comes highly recommended. Same for an electrician. The licenses in those fields are more about limiting competition and keeping wages sky-high. The same goes for stuff like taxi medallions and anything else that is designed to limit entry into a field.
Oh, and I guess you haven't been to a hospital lately either, because half-trained PA's are doing the majority of the work now instead of doctors. Cheaper to train and they perform all the routine stuff adequately. First and second year lawyers do most of the lawyering for the big firms. People like me, a year and a half out of school, make sure your buildings don't fall down and your wall sockets don't electrocute you. I should be thanking you for your bullheadedness, my industry has done a wonderful job selling the need for licensure to keep our wages up. My wallet thanks you.
