Raise the Hammer

Ryan makes the point that human decision making is often flawed, because it fails to take into account how multiple variables interact with each other. I agree with this thinking, but I am not sure how that argues for two way streets.

Just as two way streets have positive effects that common sense thinking doesn't account for, one way streets also have positive effects, that common sense doesn't account for. The logic has to go both ways. Each scenario has obvious pros and cons, but both also have more hidden positives and negatives.

I don't think either scenario is dramatically superior to the other, and any conclusion would tend to be very subjective. If you were a pedestrian, perhaps two way streets would be more favourable because traffic moves slower. However, I have also read that one way streets tend to be safer due to the simpler flow of traffic.

I personally don't think that two way streets are the spark that will turn Hamilton into a growing city, but I don't think it can hurt either. I would rather we look at the unintended consequences of looking to government handouts for our success.

I understand that going cold turkey would be rather disruptive for many, but the less we look to government for help, the more creative, and self sufficient we would become. Self sufficiency and economic strength would not be the primary effect of going more on our own, but it would be the neccessary balance to the stress of having to go it on our own. Just like the old saying, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger.".

Conversely, when we receive more than we send to the government, the primary effect is obvious, we appear richer because of it. However, if we accept that our first impressions are usually flawed, is it possible that the secondary effects of receiving handouts actually do more harm than good?