Economist Richard McKenzie once commented to the effect that nothing should make people quite so nervous as the combination of big business and government.

Another great reminder comes from the movie, "Legends of the Fall."  Son Alfred brings some local businessmen out to the farm to get his father's blessing on a run for Congress.  It seems that the businessmen have the greatest respect for young Alfred.  The father chuckles, in front of all the businessmen and asks the men what they would like from his son, should the run be successful.  Dead silence in the room.  Alfred says "they would like me in Congress, father."

Again the father asks the question and offers his skepticism of government.  "This is Congress," says one of the businessmen.

The father's reply is better delivered by Anthony Hopkins but it goes like this:  "Congress is government, and I worked for the government once.  Indians. . .Indians were the particular issue in those days and I can assure you gentlemen that there is nothing as grotesque as the meeting of a child and a bullet when an entire village thought it was safe sleeping.  That was the government's resolution of that particular issue and I have seen nothing in its behavior since then to persuade me that it has gained in wisdom, common sense or humanity."

A good dose of skepticism is always useful when it comes to government.

Big business donors usually want something.