Here is a very concise article about the role of the Government. A must read for those who would like to understand policies differences between the "big" and "small" government. I can understand why most people will be in favor of the "big" government" during the term of crisis. We love saviors aren't we? For most of us, those smart looking officials seem to have all what it takes to save the country (and ahem, I'm not referring to the officials of my country).

Well, you better think again. I agree that the government must have a role in the development of a country, or else why we need to have a government in the first place? But we must also acknowledge the limitations of the government. They are, after all, made from the people and they definitely could not know and understand everything, including the entire risks and benefits of their policies. A good government should know when to stop making policies to avoid over regulation which could turn into a mess in the long term, or even in the short term.

By the way, hat off to Mr. David Brooks for his intelligent and easy to understand analogy.