We both know that they don’t hate government because it’s ineffective or inefficient, although it can be both, they hate it when it is both effective and efficient.

By 1950, there was an estimated 600 million rabbits. So, a decision was made to use myxomatosis to wipe out the rabbit plague. It was spectacularly successful. An estimated 99% of the Rabbit population was destroyed. The cattle and sheep industries recovered swiftly. However the results were much greater than anticipated, the fur and felt trade that relied on the rabbits declined severely and several furriers, milliners and clothing businesses that used rabbit skins and felt were forced to close. By 1995, the rabbit population that survived the myxomatosis in 1950 bred to high numbers and RHDV (rabbit calicivirus) was used to decimate their numbers significantly. These two instances of using a biological agent to control a mammalian pest successfully (by CSIRO) are considered the most successful in the world.

CSIRO were a brilliant Scientific organization that was Government controlled until the 90’s when they were partially privatized and forced to compere with the private sector. They became another typical mediocre research organization. Many (including myself) believe (with reason) that the reason CSIRO were privatized wasn’t because of what was touted as a ‘waste of taxpayers money’, but because they quite often successfully challenged patents by private companies that didn’t do their due diligence (or ask questions) properly who came up with some invention only to discover that the CSIRO had created something similar or better a decade before and it was sitting on some dusty shelf somewhere waiting for someone to make use of it. 🙂 Another thing they did regularly, was to discover a much *better* way of creating something or doing something that a large corporate company did *inefficiently*. IE, they would often be quoted in the press saying things like “You know, there is a way that can be done that will make it a lot cheaper to make and for people to buy.” The corporates, of course, couldn’t have that! Why… if people discovered efficiency and could buy things cheap, how would they make massive profits?! It couldn’t be tolerated. Therefore, CSIRO simply had to be made ineffectual. However, the corporations then discovered to their horror, that many of *those damned scientists* began taking positions at Universities, and they began this very un-capitalist idea of teaching graduates and post-grad’s how to make things cheap that actually worked! So, the Gov (Howard, of course) then semi-privatized Universities. and that’s how Capitalism won the day and about 5% of the World was able to breath a sigh of relief (at the expense of the rest). 😉 😀

And that, children, is how the World works today. Sadly, in this story, nobody lived happily ever after. G’night, sleep tight, and don’t let the capitalists bite! LOL

We just don’t know enough to make these kinds of decisions. Mother Nature can get really nasty when you horn in on her territory.

The result was a disaster, resulting in the complete collapse of a once-thriving commercial kokanee fishery and a dire threat to the entire lake ecosystem. We generally aren’t smart enough to actively manipulate Mother Nature to any particular benefit on a good day. On those bad days when we don’t think it through or sufficiently understand the circumstances and consequences, we can make a real hash of things…

Anything they do will upset the balance. I hope the birds can survive all this mucking about.

– SB the YDD