Another Exhibit In The Case For Less Government
There isn’t much government does well. It wants to take over the entire health care industry and it can’t even deliver Swine Flu vaccine. The one thing government does well, because it is constitutionally charged with doing so, is protecting us with a well-armed military. But even the military has its shortcomings when venturing out of its core function.
Take the example of investigator Gary Zaetz and Arizona adventurer, Clayton Kuhles. Mr. Kuhles spends months of his own time and thousands of his own dollars each year searching for the remains of missing American service men. He hires Zaetz to do much of the detail work. Recently, Zaetz found the plane and remains of a World War II plane and crew missing for 66 years, despite the U.S. Army’s inability to do so through that entire period (see Steve Friess of AOL’s The Sphere).
This is not a slap at the military’s recovery operations. It does the best it can with thousands of missing over decades of time spanning the entire world. (This plane was found in India.) But, it cannot be ignored that a single (and very patriotic and caring) man, who carries out his own searches, has had great successes. If someone like this can replicate what government is good at, why, then, shouldn’t private entities be allowed to do yet more where government monopolies continue to fail its citizens?
Overall, admin’s comments about the government’s role in MIA recovery versus the efforts of the private sector are extremely perceptive. I must correct the record, however, regarding certain of his statements of fact. It is Clayton Kuhles, not myself, who is responsible for tirelessly trekking through miles of Indian jungle and mountains and successfully locating 15 wrecks of American World War II aircraft over the past several years. My assistance to Clayton has been limited to hunting down living relatives, through genealogical investigation, of the crews who were killed when these aircraft went down. And that assistance of mine has been entirely on a volunteer basis, never paid, nor would I accept one penny from Clayton. It is I and my family who owe Clayton an unrepayable debt for discovering my uncle’s plane (whose crash site I visited last year) after so many decades. I do not fault admin at all for any misstatements of fact, which I’m sure were made out of a simple misinterpretation of Steve Friess’ excellent Sphere article and with the best of intentions. Thank you, admin, for this very significant update to your blog.
Gary Zaetz
Nephew of 1st Lt. Irwin Zaetz, navigator of the Hot as Hell, discovered by Clayton Kuhles on December 7, 2006.
http://www.miarecoveries.org
Mr. Zaetz: Thank you VERY MUCH for your comments and setting the record straight. I don’t mind in the least and, in fact, am very honored you have visited us and posted your comments. You’re right . . . my intentions were honorable. I probably didn’t fully comprehend the cited article on The Sphere, and miscontrued it a bit. We are happy, however, that your family finally has this WWII mystery resolved and has closure to your uncle’s heroic service to the defense of our country during a desperate time. Blessings to you and your family.
Steve,
The Admin