When it come to the big picture it doesn't get much bigger than government finances. Think family finances and multiply it a few million times and add in the ridiculously complex financial markets and you get an idea of what's going on - or, more likely than not, you don't get an idea. In fact, does anyone truly understand all the complexity that surrounds government and country finances? It seems that as each year passes the level of complexity goes up a notch and everyone seems to accept this as the norm. This is complete madness.
While it is understandable to think that 'means testing' and only making sure the right people get pensions (just one current example but there are many more) is the right thing to do, the bureaucracy involved in making such assessments is astronomical. Think about the public sector staff involved, their costs, buildings, IT systems that never quite seem to work and then consider the time and effort individuals have to put in to fill out tax returns, pension statements etc.
Just think how much easier and cheaper for the country as a whole if such systems were simplified massively. Not just tinkering around the edges, radically simplifying things so that whole swathes of the public sector could be cut and individual effort could be put towards productive activities that benefit all, the state included. No there's a thought.
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