Unintended Consequences: The Heat Is On

When the financial reform bill we signed into law, a friend told me, “The goal was to protect consumers, but look out – a law this complex is sure to have unintended consequences.”

“Unintended consequences” is the ultimate comeback when arguing against a particular change or course of action.  The consequences are always coming at some future point, at some future date.  Maybe it will be next year, maybe 50 years from now, but the consequences are coming, rest assured.  The person who argues with “unintended consequences” spends his/her life waiting to release a pent up “I told you so” at someone, probably not you though, since so many years have passed.  The “unintended consequences” defense works because you will most likely no longer know the person who made the statement when and if their prediction comes true, or the “unintended consequence” doesn’t manifest itself until after we are dead and gone. 

“Unintended consequences” as an argument against legislation is not without merit.  Invading Iraq and taking down its secular government has had the unintended consequence of increasing Iran’s power and leverage in the region.  I hope that was not Bush’s intention (unless his intention was to speed us quickly towards The Rapture).  The construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s connected Americans as never before, but it did enable our reliance on the automobile, fossil fuels, and it helped to encourage urban sprawl.  We teach our kids to be cautious in a scary world, and yet wonder why they are afraid to go outside more.  The riptides of life are funny that way. 

It seems there are always two sides to everything, a ying and a yang, good news-bad news, glasses half full and half empty.  This is part of the balance within nature, I guess, and it keeps life interesting and unpredictable.  The fact is, we never know with certainty what will happen next in the world or in life, although that won’t stop us from guessing and gambling and arguing our points of view. 

The Miami Heat, new home of LeBron, Chris Bosh and D-Wade, sold out every seat for every game this season, thanks to the new Dream Team’s arrival.  Great news, and boundless joy for the sports lovers on South Beach; unless you worked in the Heat’s ticket sales department.  All 30 employees were promptly dismissed once all the tickets were sold, victimized by their own success.  For these poor souls, “unintended consequences” isn’t some theory or approach within a policy debate.  It’s a fast pass to the unemployment line.

Be careful what you wish for, Heat fans.