-------------------------------------------------- REMINDER: Only 2 Posts Per Day Per Person --------------------------------------------------
On Fri, 14 May 2004, Mary Baker wrote: > I've already mentioned why everyone needs a profit. It's to cover for > catastrophe. It's also used to raise the standard of living - that old > pleasure principle. I could eat oatmeal for cheap or artisan bread for > expensive. If whatever I do is valued real high and I get paid a lot for > it, then I'll have enough profit to cover catastrophe plus have my artisan > bread. There's nothing evil, butt-scratching or pimp-ish about wanting to > have extra money to blow on the good life. Yes, but, we also need to see the advantage of pooling assets against risks. We can all try (!) to build up large bank accounts to cover retirement - or we can support Social Security and then draw from it when needed, and use NOW some of the cash we would have had to squirrel away, or have more leisure time now, etc. Ditto with Medicare, Medicaid. Ditto with Universal Health Insurance, if we can ever get it. We socialize the risk. (As with insurance generally). A couple pools assets that either can draw from, a lesser total than either would need singly. In this era of aggressive privatization, of everyone for himself in every aspect of life, it's worth reminding ourselves of the benefits of pooling, socializing, sharing the risk, co-operation. Of funding our public libraries, schools, parks - commons we can all use. Not a message the corporations want to hear; a reason to get them out of our politics. --David Shove Roseville _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
