Broken Traffic Lights

I recommend the attached commentary by Steven Horwitz:

http://www.thefreemanonline.org/headline/the-parable-of-the-broken-traffic-lights/

Following is my comment posted at the site:

A very good analogy.

Prices are the most wonderful communication tool designed by man. Discipline provided by profit and loss results in the best use of scarce resources.

Government has absolutely stepped in the way of the pricing system of almost every market - but especially in the most important market (via enabling of the Fed), the price of money. Of course, government has also stepped in the way of allowing the discipline of profit and loss.

The result, as identified in this analogy, is mixed signal sent to market participants. For the drivers, this results in numerous accidents.

In the market, the result is wasted resources - a destruction of wealth. When central banks play make believe (there is more available to borrow than supported by real savings), the result is both long term goods and immediate goods are destroyed.

This can only result in a reduction of the standard of living. We have seen signs of this reduction in the west for the last forty years. It will only get worse.