I think of my great great grandfather who made furniture for himself and to sell during the long cold winter nights.
He owned the land, he cut the trees, he sawed the lumber, made wooden furniture, and sold the product all without any interference from government.
Imagine the imposed costs of trying to do the same today.
A kid can’t even sell cupcakes without a local “Department of Health” shutting her down. That’s the big Declaration of Dependence that big government is trumpeting . . .
It’s a sickness in American culture. As a people, we’re irrationally, over concerned about safety and security. There are regulations for everything, because there’s always some risk, no matter how small, that must be mitigated.
“There oughta be a law!” is a common refrain in America. The problem is every law has (or had) some rational basis, no matter how small, at some point.
Let’s consider your example. How do we know the furniture your grandfather made was properly tested not to collapse when someone sat on it? Someone, somewhere has probably been injured or killed by a collapsing chair. If testing can save even one life, then a law mandating testing is justified. If you’re against that law, then you’ll be accused of not caring if someone is injured or killed.
That is why there is a law, rule or regulation for nearly everything in America today. The sad part? People seem to assume problems are solved simply by virtue of laws being passed. Gun control laws, in particular, are passed for that reason. It’s completely irrational, but some people honestly believe they’ll be safer if law-abiding people register or turn in guns.