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How far can authorities go before they push us over the edge? It seems that the goal of local, state and federal governments is to regulate and interfere with 100% of our lives.

If you think you own a block of land - think again: who really owns it? You cannot burn rubbish in an incinerator, you do not own the minerals below the ground, you can be fined for not walking your dog, and you cannot modify your home or build an extra room without running foul of a myriad of regulations!

If the economy wasn't bad enough, if the turmoil in employment was abating - but no - the authorities have decided to increase the pressure on us rather than easing our pain.

This is exactly the scenario which led to the sovereign debt default in Greece. The government sector became so out of touch with those who had to produce value to make a living that tax evasion and corruption became rampant.

There is a real danger in the western world that over-regulation will bring down the local authorities and everybody will do as they please.

It's all a grab for money as local governments are struggling to manage their budget. Some local councils have doubled the proceeds from parking fines in just one year. Speed cameras were also notorious to add to government coffers. To make sure you get it wrong there are speed limits at every 10 km/h from 40 km/h to 110 km/h. How can you remember which speed zone you currently are in? Can the cruise control in your car synchronise with it?

Add to that the ineptitude of some town planners who turn our suburban street into an obstacle course. More and more concrete appears in the middle of the road. Speed humps, roundabouts, yes your head is spinning...

The reason there are so many dogs around is not that people love pets and get closure with man's best friend - the real reason is for personal safety. Women feel safe being escorted by a hound. Folks sleep peacefully thinking a bark will prevent them from being murdered in the night.

Once upon a time there were government-owned enterprises. (Some countries do not levy taxes because they have enough revenue of their own. They are called tax heaven and it's very hard to take up citizenship there). These monopolies provided income for the authorities, employment for some, every taxpayer was a shareholder.

The irony is that as people have become more and more selfish and expect the government to fix every possible issue they will have to wake-up to the chaos and meet their neighbours. Once someone becomes passionate enough about an issue and a groundswell of concern snowballs through social media a rally will take place. There has been some remarkable success stories along those lines but don't expect everything to be sorted out like that all by itself. The abdication of governments in handing over social and welfare programs to charities as well as selling utilities to private concerns is a clear sign of trouble ahead.

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