Arthur,
I'm falling behind in replying to you, but I'll
catch up.
So many remarks about a simple and sensible
statement.
If each member of a community is better off, is it
difficult to concede that the community (of people) is better
off?
Ray didn't like "better off" (def: In a more
fortunate or prosperous condition). I have no idea why.
But, my humility is exceeded only by my infinite
patience. For the umpteenth time, free trade and the free market do
not establish justice. Free trade enables us to make a bigger pie with
the same exertion. Protective tariffs reduce the size of the pie and force
us into using more exertion for less return.
This is why goods are so expensive in socialist
systems - or modern capitalistic systems which in many ways are similar. The
US has somewhere near 9,000 tariffs, a slew of import quotas and
vicious anti-dumping legislation.
(Chris thinks the US is a free trading country with
an internal free market, but then he thinks some very peculiar
things.)
So, the free market will produce the biggest pie,
but that doesn't mean the pie will be distributed fairly. The "unfairness"
comes from somewhere else. The left has its attention firmly fixed on the
big corporations. This prevents them from looking anywhere else, so they
haven't a clue as to the reason for the unfairness.
Corporate monopoly is not an effect of the free
market. It's an effect of government irresponsibility in providing
privileges in return for bribes (sorry, contributions).
Although governments have a poor record, there is a
naive belief among the left that though present government is inadequate,
once a socialist government is in power, they will be
wonderful.
Hah!
Once the honeymoon is over, they get down to the
real issues - what pay and perks will they get. Because (with reason) I am
critical of modern governments, you seem to think I am
anti-government. That is nonsense. Government is part of community
life, in the first place to deal with things the market cannot efficiently
handle - then some other things that we might prefer the community to do
rather than individuals.
But, that's the rub. Those few other things
burgeon, then erupt. So, we get the horrid situation (with which you
apparently agree) where the record of all these regulations is compressed
into the 75,000 page Federal register.
With all due respect to you well-meaning
left-wingers (I bet that term arouses argument)or for that matter you
equally well-meaning right wingers, I want neither private injustice,
nor public penury.
George analyzed the rising inequality that
accompanied the amazing increases in the power to produce back in
1878.
You must have missed it - but then you were
young.
To summarize, free trade will produce a big pie,
but that leaves justice to be attained.
So, what is justice and how do we get it? Certainly
not by making the pie smaller,
Harry
----------------------------------------------------------------
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Science of Los
Angeles Box
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********************************************
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003
7:10 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: Slightly extended (was
Re: [Futurework] David Ricardo, Cavema n Trade vs. Modern
Trade
Let's say better off equals more money, more income. If income
is rising but at the same time inequalities are rising even
faster.....
"Better off" is an interesting
phrase. Sort of goes along with "lowered
expectations."
REH
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003
9:27 AM
Subject: RE: Slightly extended (was
Re: [Futurework] David Ricardo, Cavema n Trade vs. Modern Trade
If group A is 2x better off than
originally
But group B is 4x better off than
originally
and group C is 10x better off than
originally(well...you get the idea...)
is the whole community better off?? In
some ways yes and in other ways no.
arthur
Ray,
Don't think George ever mentioned the invisible hand. Certainly not
in his major books. I must say I can't understand the difficulty about
the concept of the invisible hand.
What it says is that if each individual member of the community is
better off then it can be said that the whole community is better off.
Is this something difficult to understand?
Curious.
A clear understanding of what is private property, and what is
common property, is absolutely essential to a free and prosperous
society.
When you take time off from the chorale to make your own clothes,
and build your own furniture, I will know that you don't believe in
comparative advantage.
Harry
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