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From: renner@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Enforced socialism?!?!?!? - (nf)
Message-ID: <29200121@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Apr-84 23:08:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.29200121
Posted: Mon Apr  9 23:08:00 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Apr-84 05:31:34 EST
References: <519@mprvaxa.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:mprvaxa:-51900:uiucdcs:29200121:000:1983
Nf-From: uiucdcs!renner    Apr  9 22:08:00 1984

#R:mprvaxa:-51900:uiucdcs:29200121:000:1983
uiucdcs!renner    Apr  9 22:08:00 1984

   /**** uiucdcs:net.politics / mprvaxa!tbray /  1:14 pm  Apr  8, 1984 ****/
>  Unions are organizations constituted of participants in
>  the free labour market acting in their own enlightened self-interest
>  to increase their value in that market.  

Sorry, I just can't let that one go past.  Unions today serve several
purposes, many of which are good.  One function they perform, which is not
good, is to place monopolistic controls on an otherwise free labor market.
Want to make a movie?  You will have to "rent" actors from the Screen Actor's
Guild.  Want to run a coal mine in Pennsylvania?  Go to the UMW.  Want to
build cars in Detroit?  See the UAW.

Let me change a few terms in the definition and see how it looks:

	Corporate monopolies are organizations constituted of participants
	in the free market acting in their own enlightened self-interest
	to increase their value in that market.

Doesn't look so good any more, does it?

>  The problem with capitalism is that it doesn't work.

The nice thing about capitalism is that it works better than any other system
that has been tried.  Socialism assumes that all the people will agree on
goals -- things that are "good" -- and work together towards those goals.
The idea is attractive because people tend to assume that it will be *their*
goals that will be adopted.  But if people disagree with the "common good,"
socialism requires that they be forced to conform.  (Surely they cannot be
permitted to go off on their own, working as they choose, trading with whom
they please, keeping the profits from their work and investment -- for that
would be capitalism.)

Capitalism, on the other hand, *permits* people to work towards common goals
if they so choose, but does not require it.  You are free to work towards
what you see as "good," just as I am free to do the same.  Such a system is
much more compatible with individual liberty, and therefore to be preferred.

Scott Renner
{ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!renner