What is so odd about Mill's dilemma? It seems eminently sensible, given that the distribution of power derives from discrepancies of wealth rather than absolute wealth.
That's something which, as I mentioned earlier, is intensely experienced by people in Melanesia (and I suppose elsewhere): they used to be materially poor, but lords of their own domain, now they are substantially better off and almost completely powerless. Perhaps there are social arrangements where this calculus doesn't make sense, for instance, if power did not derive from discrepancies of wealth, or if wealth was not owned personally... la la la la la.... -- Thiago Oppermann "Shepherds of people had need know the Kalenders of tempests in state; which are commonly greatest when Things grow to Equality; As Naturall Tempests are greatest about the �quinoctia" � Francis Bacon, On Sedition On 16/10/2002 3:04 PM, "Ian Murray" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Are we not 'back' where Michael Polack posits the evolution of positional > goods? Mill's dilemma of "men seek not so much to be rich as richer than > other men.......... > > Ian > > ps watching Hitch--cue to Lou--on the death of the left [MSNBC] and after > all the months he's been in the corporate limelight I've yet to hear the > words global warming or ecology or environmental justice etc. out of his > mouth.................As if leftists were supposed to think in terms as > short term as Euro-American electoral 'cycles,' asset price bubbles, Orwell > and the like........... > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Michael Perelman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 9:33 PM > Subject: [PEN-L:31397] Re: Re: RE: fashion, obsolescence, and cultural > bankruptcy > > >> Not only are men getting more fashion conscious, but they are going for >> cosmetic surgery. A Wall St. Journal article says that such investment >> can pay in higher salaries. Regarding Ian's question, I would like to see >> a breakdown of where the sales are going -- to the elite or across the >> population. Joanna suggested that in so far as fashion is concerned it >> would be more concentrated in the elite. >> >> On Tue, Oct 15, 2002 at 09:10:54PM -0700, Ian Murray wrote: >>> >>> Anyone have the stats on sales of women's clothes, fashion accesories, >>> perfumes etc. since Reagan and Thatcher? I suspect they've been > brisk..... >>> >>> Ian >>> >> >> -- >> Michael Perelman >> Economics Department >> California State University >> Chico, CA 95929 >> >> Tel. 530-898-5321 >> E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > ------------------------------------------------- This mail sent through IMP: www-mail.usyd.edu.au
