I guess I believe in balance. Between a society of fat cats and huddled masses at one extreme and a society of truth, beauty, justice and harmony with contented (by whatever means) masses on the other extreme, lies some sort of balance where people can live a fairly good life.
I too am sympathetic with Ray's wish to build the "solid principles of equality,respect, the valuing of diversity and the belief that every culture andindividual is a great gift to all" into the market system. I don't see how a market system can generate or be fully compatible with such goals. It can *accommodate* many of these goals--and does so through legislation of various kinds, civil rights, equal rights, etc... For me, the key is balance. arthur cordell -----Original Message----- From: Ed Weick [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 1:18 PM To: Cordell, Arthur: ECOM; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Huddled masses Yes, all of this may be so, but there are also still fat cats who are difficult to keep in check by democratic means. I was quite taken by Ray Evans Harrell's point about building the "solid principles of equality, respect, the valuing of diversity and the belief that every culture and individual is a great gift to all" into the market system. It is beautiful thought, but one which I fear would be very difficult to put into practice. It would seem to me that there is a fundamental incompatibility between the kinds of ethics and values Ray proposes and those that are necessary to drive market capitalism. They just don't fit together, nor do our elected representatives necessarily want them to do so. There is nothing more gratifying to politicians and the voting public than a booming economy driven by fat cats who are trying to get fatter. Ed Weick > Well, for starters on this planet and in nations which we call advanced > industrial societies there are progressive income taxes, anti-trust laws, > laws on insider trading, food and drug laws, etc. etc. > > The Thatcher-Reagan era tended to reverse some of this but the pendulum may > be in the process of swinging back. > > arthur cordell > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ed Weick [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 8:40 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Christoph Reuss > Subject: Re: Huddled masses > > > Chris R: > > > > >In a (direct-)democratic nation state, the fat cats can't > > get too fat, because the majority can keep them in check with democratic > > means. > > Uh, like what planet are you talking about? > > Ed Weick >
