Just a thought I had today...
Anyone who has been to the DMV, a courthouse, a TSA checkpoint, or had any contact with any of the various appendages of the government apparatus in it's various forms has probably noticed something about those who are employed there: Their attitude stinks! Consider your experience when you patronize a grocery store, a restaurant, etc., and compare the service you receive. While there are varying degrees of disposition exhibited by workers regardless of their employment in the public or private sector, generally private sector workers are happier.
It is all a matter of who is in control. The waitstaff at your favorite restaurant greets you with a smile, brings your order promptly, and keeps your glass full because they know your experience will yield benefits both in the short-term (your tip) and in the long-run (your repeat business). They have a vested interest in your happiness.
The government employee sees you as a captive* audience, who has no choice in the matter! There is no incentive-from their standpoint- to serving you. In fact, you are serving them! Indeed, should you choose to ignore your "duty" to patronize their institution, you may find yourself at the point of a gun, and in the back of a patrol car. Is it any wonder why those dull, dreary, and sometimes outright rude employees seem so unhappy?
I say, let's free them from their doldrums by eliminating public sector employment, and allowing individuals to provide law, education, policing, and all of the various important services society desires on a voluntary basis. The fireman could still be a fireman, a teacher still a teacher, etc., but they would work in a private setting where they would have an incentive to provide excellent service to those who desire their contribution. Without a doubt, this would benefit both the worker and the customer, and result in a happier and more productive society.
*I mean captive in the literal sense.
