Abolish OSHA
 

Theory: OSHA is responsible for the decline of American Society because it has saved the lives of millions of idiots, and allowed them to continue to vote and breed.

;)

I dunno. Even WITH OSHA, I've seen some pretty scary stuff on construction sites. It makes one wonder exactly how bad it would get without the threat of oversight or jobs getting red-tagged.

I dislike government intervention as a general rule but when it comes to DIRECT life-safety issues, I find myself having a bit less of a problem with it. The problem is when the "safety" card gets played over and over and over and stretched further and further into superfluous and indirect things in order to rationalize increased government spending and control. Construction doesn't seem this way though - there are very real life-safety concerns, for the public and for the builders.

However, I imagine if OSHA ceased to exist, insurance underwriters would adopt parallel standards so it makes one wonder whether OSHA is really necessary ultimately. But to address your original point, it also makes one wonder whether OSHA is the cause of "protecting the genetically inferior" or whether free market pressures would do the same, as a result of our underlying societal belief that all life somehow has intrinsic value.

In general, it's odd how humans (and most notably Americans) seem to do the exact OPPOSITE of what Darwinism would do. Instead of "only the strong survive", we coddle the weak, infirm, disadvantaged, sick and unmotivated. If we were any other species, these would be left to die. Compassion and civility fly in the face of what ultimately would be best for our species' survival. In general, the dumbest and poorest people have the most kids. It does not bode well for our continued evolution.

It usually takes at least a little, or perhaps a lot, of ignorance to viciously hate gumbit agendas. Here, there is apparently some awareness of the potential fallout from dimwitted suggestions like abolishing OSHA. One would be higher insurance rates and increased construction costs. Another would be increase lawsuits from victims' families, and increased construction costs. Another might be increased wages for those who are willing to lay it on the line daily.....in the rain....cold.....on the 56th story.

And along the lines of darwinism, I would probably be more comfortable with the carpenters of the world having more kids than the stock traders. I consider carpenters to be probably smarter and without a doubt more productive.

Sometimes one is late to the party.

You have to read other threads to find the basis of this humor.

Yea, I think the original post was mostly a joke. Perhaps my response was a bit too serious.

I'd have to think about this one more, but I think the (semi) serious question is:

"Do we really need OSHA or do they (as with most government agencies) only fill a function that would be better filled by the private sector?"

The answer to this question is perhaps a bit less big-government-friendly/Supe-scialistic.

Chris, Joke or not, I think you really have a good point here.

... warning crude humor, liberals and other easily offended folk might want to overt the eyes ...

Unfortunately the machines tend to take off the wrong appendage (ie fingers, a hand, but usually not the head or the ballz), so in many cases Darwin cannot do his job regardless of OSHA. :eek:

I just had an OSHA inspection at one of my sites yesterday. I was a good boy - no issues present. I do like the new friendly OSHA. They only show up on sites for cause - someone invites them in the form of a complaint. They show up - look for the infraction and warn everyone else that they will be back the next day for an inspection. Gives everyone on site a day to prepare.

They did not use to be so friendly.

Abolishing OSHA is nowhere near the silliest real suggestion I've heard here.

I have no sense of humor, so that's why I missed it.

Yes, those two ;) were pretty hidden.