Maybe it is time to rename the Murray River. Would not a more apt name be the Yalu River?  After all, the “original” Yalu River keeps the hostages of North Korea from escaping to China.

Is there a better metaphor?

This morning, I was listening to the latest IPA Looking Forward Podcast.  In it, our friends were detailing some of the amazing levels of administrative incompetence of the Victorian Government. Listen for yourself.  It is breathtaking.

While listening, I was reflecting. What is worse – a corrupt government or an incompetent government? At least with a corrupt government, there is some incentive to keep the hostage alive. If you kill the hostage, there is no-one left to pilfer from. This is why, as Mancur Olson described, our governments evolved from roving bandits to stationary bandits.

Perhaps there is a solution for Victoria’s ills. Could the Victorian ALP second people from the NSW ALP to help run the place? It won’t be great, but at least some parts of the economy and society might survive.

An earlier version of this post also appears on Catallaxy Files. 

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