The Two Cows Model of Economics

Way back in the late 60's, I was first introduced to the "Two Cows" model of Economics. Over succeeding decades, the model has changed, and there are now literally hundreds of variants available on the Internet. Just do a Google Search on "Two Cows Capitalism" to find some of them.

My favourite - and the one closest to the original model - is from good folks at TheCapitol.Net, "...a non-partisan firm that provides legislative, budget, media, testifying and writing training and information for government and business leaders." - it says so on the label. Who knows, it might even be true. Here are just some of the definitions :

ANARCHISM (I): You have two cows. The cows decide you have no right to do anything with their milk and leave to form their own society.

ANARCHISM (II): You have two cows. You steal your neighbor's bull and ignore the government.

ANARCHISM (III): You have two cows. You keep the cows and steal another one. You ignore the government.

ANARCHISM (IV): You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to take the cows and kill you.

ANARCHISM (V): You have two cows. Your neighbor hits you over the head with a brick, steals your cows, then shoots them for fun. You later discover that he is a Nazi.

ARISTOCRACY: You have two cows. You sell both and buy one really big cow - with a pedigree.

...

BUREAUCRACY (I): You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.

BUREAUCRACY (II): You have two cows. To register them, you fill in 17 forms in triplicate and don't have time to milk them.

BUREAUCRACY -- EUROPEAN UNION: You have two cows. The EU loses one cow, milks the other and then spills the milk.

BUREAUCRACY -- UNITED STATES: You have two cows. The government takes both, loses one while moving it to a farm in Puerto Rico and forgets to milk the other.

...

UNITED NATIONISM: You have two cows. France vetoes you from milking them. The United States and Britain veto the cows from milking you. New Zealand abstains.

Go read the whole thing.