I will respond to your question in a day or two when I have more time.  First, would you
clarify for me whether it is your position that the market should be left unfettered, or
whether it should be constrained to avoid some of what I consider to be abuses that I
have specified that result from an unregulated market. dan

Norman Mikalac wrote:

> again, my question: if the market is insufficient to determine who gets
> what, when, as you say, then who makes these decisions under your
> system?
>
> norm
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dan Koenig wrote:
> >
> > This question seems to imply the assumption of the wisdom of the market.  This,
> > of course, means that whenever there is a willing buyer and a willing seller,
> > that the best of all worlds prevails and that the supremacy of the market should
> > not be interfered with.  In practical terms, what this means is that those with
> > excess money can purchase a spare kidney or an eye or an ear (etc.) from those
> > without the money to feed their children or buy them life saving health care.
> > It means similarly, that those without money should be entitled to buy sexual
> > services from children whose families also need the money.  The assumption of
> > the supremacy of the market is completely devoid of any normative values; only
> > raw power, as manifested through excess wealth, effectively matters.  Some of us
> > believe in inherent truths that provide a value basis for regulating the
> > excesses that "the market" produces if left unchecked.  Others, of course,
> > don't.  Dan
> >
> > Norman Mikalac wrote:
> >
> > > in the author's utopia, if "the consumer is not king" in setting social
> > > priorities, then who is?
> > >
> > > thank you for your response.
> > >
> > > norm
> > >
> > >  The  permanent campaign has become the  eternal vote count, creating
> > > > > equal amounts of hysteria , hilarity, boredom  and disgust. America’s
> > > > > short attention span is  being sorely tested by our closest presidential
> > > > > election, which has become a  battle between the ruling party's hired
> > > > > shysters.
> > > > >
> > > > > The nation’s richest lawyers have lined up at the financial feeding
> > > > > trough for a litigation frenzy that may last until the next election.
> > > > > Media  information spinners are offering breathless and often brainless
> > > > > coverage and analysis,   but some good may come of this mess.
> > > > >
> > > > > We may finally change our antiquated electoral system, which is  shamed
> > > > > by other nations with  procedures that work more smoothly and
> > > > > democratically. Our  politics are already corrupted by money, and now
> > > > > that the dreadful condition of our election process has been revealed,
> > > > > there may be less tolerance for our imperial rulers telling other people
> > > > > how to achieve what we don’t  have: democracy.
> > > > >
> > > > > The global community is having great fun, with South Africa , Serbia and
> > > > > Cuba offering to send us election advisors.  TV comics hope this farce
> > > > > goes on forever, and anarchists  love  having “nobody” for president.
> > > > > The ironies are numerous, and humorous.
> > > > >
> > > > > A boring  race between a biogenetic  pro-government drone and an
> > > > > intellectually challenged anti-government clone was transformed into an
> > > > > exciting vote count, for a while .  Democrat William Daley complained
> > > > > about voting irregularities. He is  the son of Chicago mayor Richard
> > > > > Daley, who created  affirmative action programs for zombies,  featuring
> > > > > an annual parade of footprints from the cemetery to the ballot box on
> > > > > election day.
> > > > >
> > > > > Republican supporters of state’s rights  went to federal court to stop
> > > > > the state from recounting , while Democratic supporters of federalism
> > > > > professed more  faith in Florida than in the USA.
> > > > >
> > > > > For all the squabbling about dimpled and pregnant chads, and machine or
> > > > > hand counting , history  may simply remember the outgoing president as
> > > > > being  impeached for a blow-job in the white house, and the incoming
> > > > > president for  being elected by a hand-job in Florida.
> > > > >
> > > > > And the American presidency will be decided by a state that has
> > > > > thousands of voters who care more about foreign countries - Cuba and
> > > > > Israel - than they do about the  USA.
> > > > >
> > > > > Every national election is filled with errors, lost ballots, confused
> > > > > voters and bigotry. This one was no different. It is only the closeness
> > > > > of the vote  that has focused attention on imperfections, but not the
> > > > > right ones.
> > > > >
> > > > > The hole in our ozone  is tiny compared to the gaping wound suffered by
> > > > > our  democracy, but that wound was not inflicted by confusing ballots,
> > > > > corrupt officials or ignorant voters. Democracy was savaged by the
> > > > > corporate party, when it denied Americans the right to hear opposing
> > > > > viewpoints from Nader and Buchanan in the debates.
> > > > >
> > > > > The recount controversy has temporarily halted the  Democratic hate
> > > > > campaign against Nader. Despite personal slurs and a fear crusade that
> > > > > had many believing their vote for him would bring Nazis to power, he got
> > > > > 2.7 million votes, while spending only seven million dollars .
> > > > > Goreberman  spent that much on TV ads in Michigan alone, and Bushney may
> > > > > have spent more than that on lunch for their staff.
> > > > >
> > > > > While some  Democratic “leaders” were trashing Nader  because his
> > > > > campaign was seen as too white, the Democrat’s may have been defeated by
> > > > > their own racism .
> > > > >
> > > > > The “new” Democrats criminal crusade that locked up thousands of Blacks
> > > > > for non-violent offenses damaged their candidates far more than Nader.
> > > > > 13 percent of  Black men can’t vote because of past  convictions, and
> > > > > those  who served their time and went on to lead productive lives could
> > > > > have provided the victory margin for Al Gore and the Democrats , had
> > > > > they had been allowed to vote.
> > > > >
> > > > > Along with our racism, our social priorities become crystal clear in
> > > > > this  fiasco: in the USA, shopping and driving are far more important
> > > > > than voting.
> > > > >
> > > > > We maintain a  multi-trillion dollar credit system , accurately
> > > > > tabulating balances while enabling millions to over-consume, often
> > > > > without  leaving their homes; why can’t we create an easy, accurate
> > > > > voting  system?
> > > > >
> > > > > We  provide ATM  machines that balance accounts and produce cash when
> > > > > operated by consumers  properly trained in their use; why can’t we
> > > > > educate  people to use ballots and voting machines with the same
> > > > > proficiency?
> > > > >
> > > > > We  transport billions of gallons of gasoline to fuel pumps all over
> > > > > america,  have citizens operate those pumps  to fill their polluters,
> > > > > and bill them to the penny; why can’t we  enable those same citizens to
> > > > > go to a polling place, be quickly and easily registered , and have their
> > > > > votes tabulated without a mistake?
> > > > >
> > > > > Welcome to the marketplace, where democracy is  more expensive  than
> > > > > consumer goods , and  more difficult to find than a parking space at
> > > > > the  corporate mall.
> > > > >
> > > > > Make no mistake,  whichever of these weaklings assumes the presidency,
> > > > > it is the corporadoes who have won. Their foreign policy will assure
> > > > > that military spending  increases, innocent people die in unjust wars,
> > > > > and the Israeli  occupied  territories still include the West Bank,
> > > > > Gaza, Congress and the White House.
> > > > >
> > > > > They will continue selling  drugs  that play profit roulette with  our
> > > > > nervous systems ; they will continue  peddling biogenetic food products
> > > > > that treat our digestive systems as a merchandise mart ; and they will
> > > > > continue  using our democracy as a contested turf among their hired
> > > > > hands, in this and all  elections that  pit one gang of the corporate
> > > > > mafia against another in a battle for territorial control. Until we
> > > > > claim control of that territory, which is  our bodies, our souls and our
> > > > > nation, these dope dealers,  polluters and  murderers will go on
> > > > > contaminating it with their political, economic and moral savagery.
> > > > >
> > > > > Enjoy your holiday dinners, but don’t expect much from the turkey in the
> > > > > White House. When we  finally give “the bird” to the system he serves,
> > > > > we’ll all be able to enjoy a real season of peace. Meanwhile, drive, and
> > > > > shop, carefully.
> > > > >
> > > > >  Copyright (c) 2000 by Frank Scott. All rights reserved.
> > > > >
> > > > >              This text may be used and shared in accordance with the
> > > > >              fair-use provisions of U.S. copyright law, and it may be
> > > > >            archived and redistributed in electronic form, provided that
> > > > >             the author is notified and no fee is charged for access.
> > > > >            Archiving, redistribution, or republication of this text on
> > > > >           other terms, in any medium, requires the consent of the author
> > > > > .