Re: power communication

[Mary C. Simmons, Hydrologic Assistant, Albuquerque, NM]

On Tue, 9 May 1995 10:26:59 -0600 
J M Brough said:
> Re. Kylie's post:
> 
> >  I do not beleive anyone should be
> > relegated to a $9 hour job.  I think all jobs should pay the same
> > regardless of the expertise needed or the position that job has in >  > >society.

Jane's post: 
> I'm sure this is sincerely meant, but I think it is taking 
> egalitarianism to absurdity.  "True" communism -
> "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" 
> (Karl Marx) simply does not work beyond the family/tribal level.  
> As soon as  society expands until it is mostly composed of people 
> who are strangers to each other rules and regulations are inevitable. 
>  There is no other way of running a nation state.  Democracy may not be 
> ideal but we've tried dictatorships, oligarchies, anarchies, theocracies and 
> other assorted tyrannies and they all seem worse.  Marx presumed that 
> the state would simply "wither away" once communism was 
> established.  He forgot about human nature.


"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" is not 
exactly what Kylie said.  All jobs paying the same implies that we regard all 
work as equally valuable.  This would remove a pesky heirarchy inherent in our 
western civilisation.  I do not think this "absurd".

_________________________________________________________________________
Mary Simmons
U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division  
Albuquerque, New Mexico 
(505)262-5330
[EMAIL PROTECTED]