Re: Free-Market Economics

From: Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Date: Sat Jul 12 1997 - 19:32:03 MDT


Bobby Whalen wrote:
>
> Michael Lorrey writes:
>
> >It really shouldn't matter how long it takes Win95 to start up. For
> >starters, it still starts faster than a Mac, and secondly, if you had
> >sufficient RAM it actually starts faster than Win 3.1
>
> You may have shot a hole in your argument here. If it doesn't matter how
> long it takes, then what good is progress?

How long an OS takes to boot within a 20 sec to 1 minute range, at this
point in time, is irrelevant from a cost effectiveness point of view.
Having a larger OS that can do more stuff makes up for a few extra
seconds of boot time, and having a bigger OS that can run the
applications you actually use faster than the previous version is what
is real progress.
>
> >> A "true" anarchy is where individuals can
> >> do anything they want as long as it doesn't interfere with anothers
> >> freedom. If an individual or group of individuals grabs a bunch of
> >>arms and starts terrorizing the rest of the people in this >>"anarchy"
> into submission, then we no longer have "anarchy" but a >>new form of
> authoritarianism..
>
> >In an anarchy, every citizen will understand that their own self
> >defense is their own responsibility. THose that don't deserve their
> >fate.
>
> Ha.ha..Your argument here makes me giggle.. In that case, you shouldn't
> mind the system <we're currently living in>! Our current system of
> nations, armys, laws, bureaucrats and dictatorships have all evolved to
> their current state in a situation you have just advocated!

Hardly. We have never had the chance to live in an anarchy, just varying
levels of authoritarianism, monarchy, and mass tyranny. That the
majority seem to prefer to live as cattle is disturbing.

>
> >
> >As for the gas station monopolist, those are the breaks. If the gas
> >station owners did not utilize public opinion to force a curtailment or
> >accommodation, its their own damn fault.
>
> Curious. Tell me how a small-time operator in 1919, when there was
> little or no access to telephones, radio, TV or big-town newspapers,
> would find the time take on the herculean task of mounting a public
> opinion campaign against Rockefeller? He would surely go out of
> business in the process.

You don't seem to know much about the period. Phones were widespread
(and there was even competition in that market!) and every town had a
newspaper that was the primary source of information, not nationwide
talkshows or corporate faux journalism like most people waste their time
on today. Additionally, literacy was higher then than it is now...
People took the time to be involved in what was going on in their
communities, almost always voted in every election, and attended town
meetings. There was national news on newsreels that preceded movies at
the local theater. Mounting a local effort to keep outsiders out was not
that hard. During the 30's during the depression, when large banks would
come in and buy out problematic mortgages on farms, the banks would
seize the farms and auction it and all equipment off, but the locals
would come in, underbid everything, at just a few dollars or less a
peice, and give the equipment and land back to the farmer. The local
Granges were sort of a union hall to coordinate these activities, as
everyone would eventually help everyone else out.

This is much the same situation small towns face today with companies
like Walmart and Costco trying to move in. Some towns are successful in
fighting because they think things through, prepare, and do good PR work
to get the whole community behind the effort. Others who don't fight it,
but only complain and sit on their butts get what they deserve.
>

-- 
TANSTAAFL!!!
			Michael Lorrey
------------------------------------------------------------
mailto:retroman@tpk.net		Inventor of the Lorrey Drive
Agent Lorrey@ThePentagon.com
Silo_1013@ThePentagon.com	http://www.tpk.net/~retroman/
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MIKEYMAS(tm): The New Internet Holiday
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------------------------------------------------------------
#!/usr/local/bin/perl-0777---export-a-crypto-system-sig-RC4-3-lines-PERL
@k=unpack('C*',pack('H*',shift));for(@t=@s=0..255){$y=($k[$_%@k]+$s[$x=$_
]+$y)%256;&S}$x=$y=0;for(unpack('C*',<>)){$x++;$y=($s[$x%=256]+$y)%256;
&S;print pack(C,$_^=$s[($s[$x]+$s[$y])%256])}sub S{@s[$x,$y]=@s[$y,$x]}


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