🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Mar20.110353.16614@yang.earlham.edu> andrewh@yang.earlham.edu writes:
>No.  Consumers can only choose from available goods and services.  If 
>someone wants to buy a car, refrigerator, or television that will last 
>twenty to thirty years, they're out of luck.  Companies don't sell things 
>that last, because if they did, everyone's needs would be filled for the 
>long-term, and production would be unnecessary.  
> ...
>No one really knows what the "best" system is.  The point is we all better 
>stop our ideological idololatry and foolish demagogery before too long, or 
>we'll have a real disaster on our hands, environmental or otherwise. 
>
>Andrew Hagen
>andrewh@yang.earlham.edu

Actually, we do know what the best system is. It is defined by the following:

1. Free entry and exit into/from markets
2. No hidden costs
3. Commodity goods -- No brand names, all sizes standardized/exchangable
4. Free information
5. No one has so much of an item for sale that they can cause a major
	effect on the market by themself.

At least, those are the textbook definitions. You also need

6. Market based buying/selling	(obvious)
7. Rational consumers (not so obvious).

Then, you get the best for SOCIETY. This is very different than the best
for the individual members of society.

Whats the difference? Compare two plans. Under 1, A makes $50. Under 2,
A loses $50, but B gains $200. Since under 2, B could pay A $100, and still
be $100 ahead, 2 is a better plan for society. Except that A will not be
paid the compensation, and will hate the result.

So who said that a free market was the best possible solution?

A better question: Just what is the question that all the various
economies are trying to solve? (This is not a trivial question).

This should be directed to an economy group (sci.economics?), but
we don't get them here.

		Michael
-- 
		Michael Gersten		michael@stb.info.com
HELLO! I'm a signature virus! Join in the fun and copy me into yours!
ex:.-1,. w $HOME/.signature