From: Shaggy-AT-pseud.pseud Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 23:38:00 +0000 Subject: M-INTRO: (Fwd) Freedom, baby--Yeah! --Austin Powers "Whenever the legislature attempts to regulate the differences between the masters and their workmen, its counsellors are always the masters." --Adam Smith, 1776 So much is made of the exploitative nature of capitalism in its drive for increased efficiency and production. Please do not get me wrong, I think it stinks that my employer is able to skim the cream from the value I produce at my job. Competition makes for winners and losers, but as, for example in the case of the NBA finals, there's often another chance to succeed (thank heavens, go Jazz!) There is a lot to be criticized about capitalism as I am seeing you all enjoy yourselves doing immensely. Much of the criticisms are true and accurate. I will just insert here that it is precisely the freedom you scorn that allows you to speak so freely of the country's ills. As the token pro-capitalist in this class, however, I will make my final, though most likely fruitless plea for some of you to consider the horriffic potential of entrusting your lives to the likes of politicians i.e., "central planners." As I stated above, one of the hallmarks of capitalism is the drive within it to produce, innovate, and move towards efficiency. I would like to present to you, however the way in which capitalism is extremely inefficient. Our leaders. Think of all of the time, money, and labour-power used in campaigns, debates, communication between leaders and constituents, etc. (again, I wish to qualify this statement by saying that campaigns are truly out of control) Think of the trouble it takes to train and re-train politicians as they move in and out of offices. These inefficient measures are taken to protect the citizens of our great country ( gasp, what an extreme statement!) Despite these gratuitously repetitive precautions, we still often get stuck with too many liars, cheats, and all-around dispicable characters. Who thinks that were we to change the system to one that is more egalitarian, fair, paternalistic,... all those nice things, that somehow politicians will no longer be rats? They will be! Whats more, they will have far more power than they have now! Why, they get to decide when, what, and for whom to produce and how to divide it. I realize that there are hybrid plans to check central planners, and slants on socialism that allow market forces in to some degree, but risking my family's freedom and future on the off chance that "men will be angels" is not a risk I will ever be willing to take. "Fundamentally, there are only two ways of coordinating the economic activities of millions. One is central direction involving the use of coercion--the technique of the army and of the modern totalitarian state. The other is voluntary cooperation of individuals--the technique of the market place. . . Exchange can bring about coordination without coercion." --Milton Friedman Shaggy --- from list marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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