From: Lee Daniel Crocker (lee@piclab.com)
Date: Wed Oct 24 2001 - 10:04:25 MDT
>
> But where is the admission from all these people who are worshipping
> capitalism (please, let's be honest!) that a relatively small fraction of
> the population stands to gain tremendously from having the poulation in
> thrall the capitalism-worship? I just don't see that! And I know, just as
> sure as water downhill, that those dynamics exist. And likewise, I also
> know, with the same certainty, that there exist very serious conflicts of
> interest between those who have, and who have significantly less. Where is
> the admission of this obvious fact?
You can't "admit" what you don't believe. I sincerely believe that you
are mistaken, probably because your operating definition of "capitalism"
is very different from what most of us free-marketers really believe in;
you probably think that the present US system is capitalist, while most
of us think it has a long way to go to become a truly free market with
proper respect and enforcement of everyone's rights--including those of
the poor. A lot of people who attack what they call "capitalists", for
example, just assume that capitalists would favor right-to-work laws, for
example, that libertarians in fact oppose. They assume that trade unions
are anti-capitalist, when in fact they are a fine capitalist concept.
Most assume that capitalists support intellectual property, when that
issue is orthogonal.
Once we agree on what we're talking about, productive discussion might
become possible (assuming those doing the discussing are themselves
capable of rational thought).
Another problem I see frequently in your arguents is that you refer to
"common sense" or "common knowledge" or "obvious" observations. Common
sense and other prejudices are a handy substitute for real thought
sometimes in a pinch, but when actually measurable, demonstrable data
are available, they should be thrown out the window.
I'm not sure whether rational discussion of these things is possible
with you--but you're here, so obviously you share some goals and ideas.
But if you think you have a better understanding of what kinds of
economic systems would help us reach our goals, you're going to have
to do a much better job of expressing those ideas than you have been.
Of course, I happen to think even then that you'll fail, not because
we aren't listening, but because your side doesn't have much to say
that isn't just empty emotional rhetoric. But anything's possible.
-- Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lee/> "All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past, are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC
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