The government licenses everything. Eventually, we will need a license to go to a public park, probably need paperwork to prove we are up to date on our government mandated “safe and effective vaccines”.

I want to focus on people who provide a service, like contractors and mechanics.

As for mechanics, they is a classification called ASE certified. This means they took some certification test, passed and now can fix cars. It is supposed to give the consumer a false sense of assurance that the mechanic is an expert. I have talked to mechanics not ASE certified and they have told me that all the certification means is that someone can pass a test, not necessarily diagnose what is wrong with a car. I have been to such ASE certified mechanics and sometimes it’s like they are throwing mud to what sticks.

But we are programmed to believe that a certificate makes one an expert, but it doesn’t. It’s just a piece of paper certifying someone passed a standardized test.

Contractors are also required to be licensed and certified. This does prevent them from cutting corners, hiding bad structural work behind drywall. Once the drywall is up, it can’t be checked. And certified inspectors on the town payroll are easily bribed not to look too close, if they look at all.

Someone I know who lives in the same town as me was building a house. His contractor went to a local pizza bar where the electrical inspector was every day to sign the documents to release the house for occupancy. The same was done with another town inspector, except he was on vacation in Florida. This person called a relative in Florida, who brought the paperwork along with a few hundred bucks, to have the town inspector sign without doing an inspection.

A government issued license does not ensure a contractor or plumber or electrician is an honest person and will do the work correctly. Most of the time it just means they paid the government to allow them to make money building stuff.

This doesn’t mean that there are not good contractors out there, but they are becoming harder to find.

In short, what I am trying to convey, is that a piece of paper from the government doesn’t mean the person is qualified to do be an expert at what they do. My father wasn’t a carpenter or electrician by trade but he had been complimented by people on how well he constructed porches and such.

It’s really all about taking pride in your work, and a piece of paper from the government doesn’t provide that.