From: Max More (maxmore@primenet.com)
Date: Sat Jul 27 1996 - 16:20:05 MDT
At 10:24 PM 7/27/96 +0800, Ben Goertzel wrote:
>
>But I don't get the conceptual connection of Libertarianism with
>futuristic technology, complexity theory & spontaneous organization.
I'll leave the answer to this one up to others.
>My belief is that while current government structures are in many ways
>too restrictive, libertarianism would ALSO lead to an overly restrictive
>system. Free markets don't seem to stay "free" -- they seem to drift
>into attractors consisting of MONOPOLIES or OLIGOPOLIES. Look at the
>software market, which is a free market, but is dominated by MicroSoft
>to everyone's detriment.
Why is this "domination" (= great success in the market) to everyone's
detriment. I don't agree. I think there's currently a good mix of very tough
competition and standard setting enabled by the Microsoft-Intel alliance on
one side, and the Apple-Motorola alliance on the other. It's unfortunate
that the folks at Apple weren't better business people, as I'd like to keep
the pressure on Microsoft. Fortunately the opening of the Net has created a
huge area that's keeping the competitive pressure on Microsoft.
It's interesting to note that Microsoft just announcing that they are
opening the standard for ActiveX. They want to create an independent group
to set standards and accessibility. The competition from Netscape, Sun and
others led them to this move that will be wonderfully preventive of monopoly
problems. If Microsoft really can do what they want without caring about the
market, they would't bother with this unusual and encouraging move.
Do you really think the software market would function better if the
government decided what products could be made, by whom, and how much they
could be sold for? (After a few years in the govt. agency's committees...)
Upward and Outward!
Max
Max More, Ph.D. maxmore@primenet.com
http://www.primenet.com/~maxmore
President Extropy Institute (ExI)
Editor Extropy
310-398-0375
http://www.primenet.com/~maxmore/extropy.htm
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