From: Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Date: Thu Nov 07 1996 - 19:03:25 MST
Twirlip of Greymist wrote:
>
> On Nov 7, 12:56pm, Suresh Naidu wrote:
>
> } way too frequently. The amount of environmental damage one person
> } can do when he doesn't have total control over a large organization is far less.
>
> Like a government?
>
> } On his own he could pollute a small piece of land, as the
> } businessman he can destroy an entire ecosystem. Capitalism gives power to
>
Suresh, the reason why corporations that pollute do so and get away with
it is because it is on "public" land. Here's a little ditty to explain
it:
The problem with common ownership is that something which belongs to
everybody actually winds up belonging to nobody because everybody
wouldn't take care of it, and nobody was responsible. Somebody came
along and (polluted/stole/trashed/ you pick it) it. Nobody thought that
somebody would do it, but everybody just sat there watching, because it
was nobody's job to take make sure that didn't happen. Somebody said, I
own it now, and if anybody wants it, they are going to have to pay me to
use it, and while everybody objected, nobody would do anything.
See.....
If things belong to people as individuals, then they will take care of
them, and make sure nothing happens to them. Common ownership is
abandonment.
Mike
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