Ray wrote:
"I'm afraid that it happening is about as likely as Senator Jesse Helms
writing an article defining artistic ideals and the way that America could
develop a serious economic program for the funding of the arts. In spite
of what the supply and demand folks say about such funding, the current free
market has been an unmitigated failure in such things, indeed in funding
anything that derives its motivation from inner quality and exceptional
exploration or innovation."
HARRY: All you are saying, Ray, is that the free market - decisions made by
people - follows the wishes of people not to give money to the arts.
However, political leaders who are obviously superior to the great unwashed
outside the Beltway are prepared to give the money of the great unwashed to
finance artistic things.
The free market cannot be a failure. All it does - if it's allowed - is to
record the desires of the people, You may not like their decisions (I may
not like their decisions) but if we are supposed to be "democratic", we
should listen to what people want.
You wrote:
"Instead we get Land, Labor, Capital and Wealth. And "Man seeks to satisfy
his desires with the least exertion." I think Parkinson's Law makes more
sense economically and when tied to the Peter Principle more represents
Democratic humanity than anything written thus far. PL ("Work expands to
fit the time allotted to it." & "People tend to rise to the level of
their incompetence." )"
HARRY: I like both Parkinson and Peter, but they are discussing corporate
politics and not economics at all.
The four categories - Land, Labor, Capital, and Wealth - are simply names
given to defined concepts. These four concepts cover everything in the
universe. It makes possible analysis of people's economic behavior - their
relationships and their relationship to the earth.
The major problem in discussion is to make sure that all speak the same
language - that when anyone uses a term such as Land, or Labor, he is
talking about what I mean when I use Land, or Labor.
Then, we can talk meaningfully to each other and work toward understanding.
"Man seeks to satisfy his desires with the least exertion" is a description
of how Man behaves. It's actually the key to all progress. It's also
something formal to be aware of when one studies Man. Mostly, we know it
anyway because it's the way we act - and it's the way everyone else we
observe acts.
Anyway, it makes a great initial Assumption for the study of Classical
Political Economy, which above all else is the study of human behavior.
Harry
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Harry Pollard
Henry George School of LA
Box 655
Tujunga CA 91042
Tel: (818) 352-4141
Fax: (818) 352-2242
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