The Cobra Effect
Cobra Effect
COBRA EFFECT
The Cobra Effect refers to an anecdote around the time of the British rule of colonial rule of india when the british government put a reward for every dead snake. In the beginning it was very successful. Indians began to breed cobras for income. After a while the reward became cancelled and the breeders set all of the snakes free. This made the problem of the snakes worse.
Another instance of this was in Hanoi under the French rule. A bounty program was offered for every rat tail that was brought in for every rat killed. The Colonial officials would notice rats with no tails. The rat catchers would lop off the tails and thrown the rats back in the sewers.
In Fort Benning Georgia, a bounty was offered for pig tails. Many people would raise pigs to cut off the tails to obtain the rewards.
In Mexico City and Bogota, they tried to reduce traffic by allowing people to drive cars a couple days a week. They officials would check the car licenses by the last one or two numbers on the plates. People would buy more cars, some up to four cars. This cause more pollution and more congestion on the roads.
When the government tried to control the snake population people took it to the extreme and started breeding the snakes as well as the pigs. Instead of killing the rats people took the easy way and just took the tails off. People seem to take the easy way out of everything from snakes to cars. This is not fixing the problem just making the problem worse. More snakes, pigs, rats, pollution. There is no end.
COBRA EFFECT
The Cobra Effect refers to an anecdote around the time of the British rule of colonial rule of india when the british government put a reward for every dead snake. In the beginning it was very successful. Indians began to breed cobras for income. After a while the reward became cancelled and the breeders set all of the snakes free. This made the problem of the snakes worse.
Another instance of this was in Hanoi under the French rule. A bounty program was offered for every rat tail that was brought in for every rat killed. The Colonial officials would notice rats with no tails. The rat catchers would lop off the tails and thrown the rats back in the sewers.
In Fort Benning Georgia, a bounty was offered for pig tails. Many people would raise pigs to cut off the tails to obtain the rewards.
In Mexico City and Bogota, they tried to reduce traffic by allowing people to drive cars a couple days a week. They officials would check the car licenses by the last one or two numbers on the plates. People would buy more cars, some up to four cars. This cause more pollution and more congestion on the roads.
When the government tried to control the snake population people took it to the extreme and started breeding the snakes as well as the pigs. Instead of killing the rats people took the easy way and just took the tails off. People seem to take the easy way out of everything from snakes to cars. This is not fixing the problem just making the problem worse. More snakes, pigs, rats, pollution. There is no end.