Here's a great example of how Government coercion, in the form of 'licensing' standards, suits to benefit special interests, and only serves to make it harder for new-comers to compete against the already-licensed. With fewer competitors, it grants the already-licensed and grandfathered businesses to charge a higher premium for the service they provide. Often times, in order to get 'licensed' you need to have practiced as an apprentice, or endure long-term training requirements measured in years. Does licensing someone to cut hair give someone superior knowledge or skill? Obviously someone who has never touched a pair of scissors and used them to cut hair wouldn't be a sufficient barber, but why would someone who has virtually no experience take the risk of opening their own shop and cutting hair? The only purpose these regulations serve is the special interests and accost those that wish to compete with already-established businesses. Licensing isn't about consumer safety it's about serving special interests, and increasing tax revenues. If there was a true free market, 'licensing' wouldn't exist, except for potentially highly, highly specialized professions, and even then it's questionable. http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/09/14/0914barber.html If Everyone Could Trim a Beard … - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com
That's total bullshit man. I actually bought a pair of clippers and learned to cut my own hair when I was 14. Later, I learned to use scissors since I now have long hair. It's pretty damn easy once you know a few basics. I did it because I thought 10 bucks for a cut was a lot. I wonder how much they'll get away with charging now if they start fucking with the competition through licensing regulations.
Are you saying that you are incapable of deciding what barber to go to? Where to get your food? What doctor to see? I didn't realize that adults are children, never able to decide things for themselves, always needing parental control.
NO i am saying the face shaving industry, is not one that screams "I need regulations". We aren't talking about nuclear power plants you know. I have no idea how you inferred all that, from my short agreement with the OP.
QUICK, QUICK IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE MIGHT BE DISAGREEING WITH ME! SET PHASERS TO FLAME! The truth is, there's more to being a salonist then picking up a pair of sissors. There are hygenic concerns and it also shields the saloon from litigation. Not to mention lumping the food suply and healthcare in with this is pretty epic. It's one thing that the person cutting my hair might be a tallentless hack, it would be truely frightining if i had no way of knowing if the food i was eating was poison or if my doc was just a schill for the pharamcutical comapnies. (And before you start off by saying most of them are, plz to be remembering i get my health care in a socialized situation. The gvment takes care of all my ailments)
I just want to say that you made me laugh, you really did. As far as doctors being "schills" for big pharmaceutical companies goes, the government is the biggest one! Every single congressmen has stock in all major pharmaceutical companies and they all write and support legislation that removes competitors for them. The US congress just recently passed a bill that makes generic brands of new medications illegal to produce for 12 years. US Senate panel backs 12-year biotech drug shelter | Reuters So too bad the government is worst of all when it comes to working for pharmaceutical companies. Not to mention you still didn't answer my question. You need someone to look out for you? You can't do that yourself? What if there was a private licensing organization? Completely separate from the government? What if you actually took the time to research what you were buying instead of complaining about shoddy businesses? No one is forcing you to buy anything, it is your choice. So choose a good business to buy your product or service, it is that simple. Organizations like Consumer Report for electronics and cars, and Zagat for restaurants, the ESRB for video games, etc. work very well, and if licensing was removed as a necessity to be performed by the government we would have many more organizations like that. I don't understand how you can have a lack of faith in the people, and a surplus of faith in the government. The government is only a group of people!
I don't understand how you can have such a lack of faith in the government, and a surplus of faith in the people. The government is only a group of people!
Did you understand his post? If you did, why did you only pick one line out to respond? Do you agree with everything else he said or do you enjoy nitpicking? I think his main point was that we don't need the government to be looking out for us when it comes to licensing, certifications, and ratings; therefore, they shouldn't be.
This is just absurd. Licensing should be reserved for the kind of activity, functions and occupations that if not done within a given standard, puts others life and health at risk. Cutting hair and applying make-up do not quite qualify. Operating heavy machinery, cars included, do. Performing medical procedures and application of therapies and medicines do. Operating, storing and distributing guns for sport, hunting and security also qualify. Licensing merely to protect a given occupation from competition, is abusing the power of government for ones own self serving needs at the expense of the population at large.
If somebody is going to use a sharp object to cut my hair or shave me, I want to be sure that they are trained, qualified and licensed to carry out their occupation in a way that is hygienically and medically safe. There must be rules, strict but open to change, and public safety should be the primary concern. We have enough to worry about what with swine flu, vaccinations or lack of them, terrorism, crime, poisonings in the food and water, etc., without adding barbers and beauticians who are unqualified and dangerous into the equation.
What hygienic concerns? Make sure your scissors and clippers are clean with some 91% iso alcohol, and use iso alcohol or aftershave on the facial hair and hairline areas after your done shaving/trimming. Other than that, it's nothing more than the normal deal, you know, washing your hands after using the bathroom, etc. I'm sure any self-respecting cannabis user can handle that seeing as most of us use iso alcohol on a semi-regular basis to clean our paraphernalia. Dangerous barbers and beauticians!?! Yes, all those stories of violent barbers taking their aggression out of people's heads. They're basically domestic terrorists. As a matter of fact, a license won't guarantee anything, we should require that they all use those little dinky plastic scissors we used in kindergarten that don't work to cut jack shit.
I guess you didn't understand my post at all. Perhaps I should rephrase it. Because the government is only comprised of people, what makes them better qualified to certify any individual or organization in any industry? I guess you didn't understand my post at all. Perhaps I should rephrase it. Because the government is only comprised of people, what makes them better qualified to certify any individual or organization in any industry? I hope this post is a joke, honestly. The last thing we need is more regulation. Why the fuck would anyone go to a barber without knowing that they were going to get a quality product/service? Beyond that, why would anyone open up a barber shop knowing that no one would come to them if they did not offer a quality product/service? It doesn't make any sense at all. The same ideas can be applied to any industry, including but not limited to firearms, medical care, and automobiles. You have the ability to make choices. Utilize that ability instead of pawning it off to a parent figure, the government. Not only does this thread expose peoples' lack of faith in people, but it also exposes peoples' lack of confidence in their ability to make decisions. It is saddening, really. I believe everyone here has the ability to make these choices themselves, hopefully that will boost your confidence a little bit.
To those who do not think that a dirty razor or scissor can be dangerous, something like 50% of people used to die from surgery before doctors learned to sterilize their instruments and hands. I don't want some retardo barber, from god-only-knows-where, cutting me with a dirty razor that had been used on a person with a communicable disease - and I'll leave it up to your imagination as to which diseases would be spread by these filthy practices. A certificate for barbers is not that big a deal, and works. Let's keep it that way.
Why the fuck would you go to a barber that uses nasty, rusty, disease-infested utensils? Does that make any sense at all? Find a fucking good barber, and make the decision yourself instead of relying on the government to do it for you. If it truly were that big a deal the market would open up for a regulatory service that would evaluate barbers anyway. No one has answered that question yet... All of these people do not think they are capable of deciding which barber to go to? Don't you all see how sad that is? It is a pretty simple fucking decision to make, but apparently no one here is up to the challenge. Ridiculous...
You don't know your barber? Don't you at least go to the same place every time? Don't you trust them enough to cut your hair without seeing some license?
I do not live shacked up in an underground bunker, with a sawed-off shotgun aimed at the door - sometimes I actually travel to other cities and states and, needing a haircut, I go to shops where do not know the barber.
Do you really ask to see a license when you go to some stranger to get a haircut or do you trust them because they work in a haircut place? Also, how often do you get haircuts that you need to have one when you're traveling or are you just away from your home for long periods of time?