If only some government agency would ban things like this.
Oh well, we can dream.
readthenotes1•9h ago
Before that would happen, you would have to make sure that the most likely job after leaving the regularatory agency wouldn't be one of the companies they are supposed to regulate.
I suppose the opposite of regulatory capture is captured regulators...
redleader55•9h ago
A government agency will have less incentives to be corrupt, in theory. On the flip side, it will be incompetent and demotivated.
If you think about it, kosher and halal stamps on food products are something like this, and they existed for thousands of years. Those aren't given by the governments, but private entities.
I want to see 20 private international companies that earn money researching food safety and selling consultancy to food producers to align their processes with best practices.
pengaru•8h ago
> A government agency will have less incentives to be corrupt, in theory. On the flip side, it will be incompetent and demotivated.
Then captured by private interests having the deepest pockets
cycomanic•8h ago
> A government agency will have less incentives to be corrupt, in theory. On the flip side, it will be incompetent and demotivated.
And you have what evidence for this? The reality is, is that government departments often achieve much with very little. Case in point the interview with the former dodge engineer on HN earlier today. I think the reason why the myth persists is because everyone wants to have their demands prioritised while at the same time pay the minimum amount of tax, leading to continuous understaffing and everyone being unhappy (I would exclude defense from that assessment, because they suffer much less from cuts than most other spending).
I thought i was doing my usual "oh they already did" thing but it only affects me. Oh well.
invalidname•7h ago
I can't speak for Halal but in Israel Kosher is considered a scam by quite a few people. The idea that Kosher is given by a private entity isn't exactly correct. It's a rabbinical institute, not a private business. Their incentives are problematic.
In order to get a Kosher stamp you need an "observer" who is some guy you pay to hang around and make sure you do everything right. Sometimes the guy is actually helpful, but usually it's just some nephew of the Rabbi who hands out the kosher certificate.
Their main focus is to keep you purchasing only other products deemed kosher. Not the quality of the food or even cleanliness. If you annoy the wrong people you can lose your certificate and essentially get black listed. You can't open on a Saturday etc.
I used to joke that the easiest way to gauge the quality of the restaurant is in an inverse proportion to the size of its kosher sign. Most restaurants in Tel Aviv (excluding, Humus, Falafel or Shuwarma places) are not kosher.
atoav•2h ago
As someone who has some experience with government agencies I can tell you the most intrinsically motivated, not-doing-it-for-the-money-but-for-the-cause people I have met in my life have been government employees. Sure they are rarely the public-facing clerk in some office, but there are people who do amazing work while they could literally earn double when they went for the private market.
The idea that government employee = lazy/disorganized/unmotivated while private sector employee = hardworking/organized/motivated is not true. In fact the most hard to work with clients (because they wouldn't be on time, don't do work, do it lazily, etc) I ever had were all private sector and my client list includes literal art students in their twenties who go out partying all week, so that means something.
potamic•5h ago
What could this mean for dental or orthopedic titanium implants? From my understanding these also corrode at a small rate and release titanium ions into the body (nothing is apparently perfectly inert). I assume titanium ions oxidize and will result in titanium dioxide particles deposited across the body. So far, it has been said to be non toxic, but if research is coming out about toxic effects from food consumption route, could this have implications for people living with implants long term?
londons_explore•3h ago
I suspect the dose is rather different.
ajb•1h ago
Isn't this the compound that's in basically all white paint? Hope this is not leaded paint all over again.
genewitch•10h ago
Oh well, we can dream.
readthenotes1•9h ago
I suppose the opposite of regulatory capture is captured regulators...
redleader55•9h ago
If you think about it, kosher and halal stamps on food products are something like this, and they existed for thousands of years. Those aren't given by the governments, but private entities.
I want to see 20 private international companies that earn money researching food safety and selling consultancy to food producers to align their processes with best practices.
pengaru•8h ago
Then captured by private interests having the deepest pockets
cycomanic•8h ago
And you have what evidence for this? The reality is, is that government departments often achieve much with very little. Case in point the interview with the former dodge engineer on HN earlier today. I think the reason why the myth persists is because everyone wants to have their demands prioritised while at the same time pay the minimum amount of tax, leading to continuous understaffing and everyone being unhappy (I would exclude defense from that assessment, because they suffer much less from cuts than most other spending).
genewitch•7h ago
I thought i was doing my usual "oh they already did" thing but it only affects me. Oh well.
invalidname•7h ago
In order to get a Kosher stamp you need an "observer" who is some guy you pay to hang around and make sure you do everything right. Sometimes the guy is actually helpful, but usually it's just some nephew of the Rabbi who hands out the kosher certificate.
Their main focus is to keep you purchasing only other products deemed kosher. Not the quality of the food or even cleanliness. If you annoy the wrong people you can lose your certificate and essentially get black listed. You can't open on a Saturday etc.
I used to joke that the easiest way to gauge the quality of the restaurant is in an inverse proportion to the size of its kosher sign. Most restaurants in Tel Aviv (excluding, Humus, Falafel or Shuwarma places) are not kosher.
atoav•2h ago
The idea that government employee = lazy/disorganized/unmotivated while private sector employee = hardworking/organized/motivated is not true. In fact the most hard to work with clients (because they wouldn't be on time, don't do work, do it lazily, etc) I ever had were all private sector and my client list includes literal art students in their twenties who go out partying all week, so that means something.