If people did the right thing, we wouldn't need regulations to compel them to do so.
I am not claiming that all regulations compel the right thing. There are too many powerful lobbies influencing regulators to make that claim. But, if you believe in democracy, and are smart enough not to throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water, regulations generally reflect the collective will of the people. Or, at least the indirect will of the people through those we elect to represent us.
Many laws and regulations have near universal support. When considering "regulation", there often is a split between those in favor and those against. This is ridiculous. The lack of specificity in the argument polarizes the camps into this for and against situation. Any discussion of regulation, without specifying a particular regulation or group of regulations, is a shallow mockery of intelligent discourse. To be against "regulation" as a generic term, means to be against civil democracy.
In my experience, I have found that people are more interested in themselves, their families, and their own personal community of friends that share their lifestyle, than in the collective common good. Doing the "right thing" for them means to do that which positively effects them or their circle, as defined above, as opposed to that which positively effects the common good. There are many examples of this.
One example is taxes. The conservative republican and libertarian stance on taxes is that they are against them. What an easy argument to win. If people act as I suggest, they will agree that taxes are bad and will be against them, regardless of the positive effects that paying their share has on the common good. As with regulation, to be generically against "taxes" means to be against civil democracy. One must be specific in one's arguments. This is the origin of the disconnect between the desire to cut taxes and the lack of ability to find programs to cut from the budget. People like the government programs that are funded by taxes. But they still like the anti-tax stance because they see their own money, their own self interest, being taken to pay for them.
People need to do the right thing for the common good. Sure, there are varying opinions as to what is in the best interest of the common good. But, if everyone was trying for the common good there would be less division than if everyone was looking out for their own good and that of their own personal circle. Compromise would be easier to achieve. Agreement would be more common. The common good would be more served.
Believe in democracy. Do the right thing for the common good.
