Governmental anecdotes
It seems that government offices are often guilty of doing things in and uncontrolled manner. I am referring at the most granular level here. Like most of the world few of us have any direct experience with the madness of tariffs at all that they mean for the average client. We rely on anecdotal evidence. With that as a given I watched a video of a couple picking up their parcels on one side of the border and showing up at the customs office on the other side. With a list of all their parcels. The intention was to pay any dues required by either administration. Anyhow the couple with their small truckload of parcels cleared customs on one side of the border and arrived at the other side. They went so far as to make a computerized list to help out with all the intended paperwork. And, once inside the customs office they presented their case. At that moment there was a power failure. Not a failure to communicate. The lights went out and came on again and then the computer restarted a second time and the network remained offline. All involved we’re aware that things were not complete. However the customs of official simply stamped the paperwork as done and sent the couple on their way. The amount of uncollected monies would not in any way compensate the government for the extra time this file would require. Also since the computers had crashed there was no record of the whole visit. The only word that comes to mind is fortuitous. You usually cannot depend upon a power failure when it comes time to pay monies to the government. But it also shows a greater state of mind. Even the people in the nicer uniforms fail to understand the need to collect every penny a government decides is theirs when there is nothing in return. History shows that the idea of taxation without representation extends into the real world too. Yes I watched the video and then I re-watched it. Trying to see if there was a nuance that I had missed. My final take is that the people behind the desk are just doing their job as well. When the lights go out it is simply easier to stamp the papers in front of you, give a nod of the head and carry on.
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