David James posted a thought-provoking blog entry on the Peace Through Commerce event last Saturday in Austin, Texas that inspired me to formulate my own list of questions for personal reflection. Many of my own questions arise when I start to wonder why a government program or restriction created to help people actually turns out to hurt them. So here is a thought scenario followed by a few questions.

Thought Scenario #1: The Unintended Consequences of Good Intentions
All actions have consequences, and the consequences of actions is what we have to deal with and negotiate in everyday life. Sometimes, even actions undertaken with the best intentions- like outlawing child labor- have terrible consequences that end up hurting more than they help. For example, some scholars suggest that in Thailand and India, child labor laws have led to an increase in the number of children being "born into brothels". Both alternatives are horrifying. Good intentions do not determine policy outcomes. Assuming this, think about the following questions and try to identify the "winners", the "losers", the "good intentions", and the actual consequences of the policy in question.

• Agricultural subsidies to corn (and ethanol) farmers in America
• US Dept. of Homeland Security contracts with airline companies
• Environmental regulations requiring use of expensive new cleaners in workplace
  
• Occupational safety regulations in the workplace