Re: Economic Rent As Sum of Externalities

"jmh" <jmhall@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:slrnf6ecom.bbo.jmhall@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:37:07 GMT, royls@xxxxxxxxx in sci.econ
confessed to the world saying:

No, that is _not_ the issue here. The issue would be the same even
had Smith never existed. You don't seem to understand that it is a
scientific issue, not a mere matter of exegetical scholarship.

What "scientific issue"? The question of material existance
of the external world is not in questions here.

The question of man having created that external world is
also not is question here.

The only question here is whether or not man can individually
own some of that external world and then allow other's to
use it for the owner's gain. This is NOT a scientific
issue outside the question of "Is that happening now or
not?" Since that's NOT the question here your "scientific
issue" is a red herring.


I think you are asking all the wrong questions. The answers to
the questions you pose are readily apparent. As RoyL might
say "A matter of objective reality". But what about the question
of whether or not privatization of natural resources is a "good"
thing? That puts us on the spot because it insists that we reveal
our social priorities, i.e. we must define "good"; we must define
where we THINK we are going. Different people working
toward different conceptualizations of "good" cannot possibly
agree on the political economy that would be "best". I want
equality of rights and, as much as possible, equality of
opportunity as an end in itself. I do not propose that this will
make people "better" or worse or that it will take them closer
to some concept of God, or that it will tend to create a race
of Gods or demons. Somehow I think the land ownership people
have a different idea of "good" and that this is the _real_
problem. I am not a big fan of Ayn Rand, but she is quoted as
saying something to which I most heartily subscribe:
"If a person or group or culture or creed wishes to believe that
an afterlife will offer eternal rewards that are proportional to one's
Earthly poverty, sickness, disfigurement, ignorance, and brevity
of life, then a system of rules promoting Earthly prosperity, health,
and longevity would be inappropriate. If, however, one seeks
rules that are likely to optimize or maximize 'life on Earth,' these
rules must at least be consistent with, or respect, the natures of
'life' and 'Earth'." --- Ayn Rand

So let's have it. What is your idea of "good" and how does your
economic ideal play toward that "good"? I can't imagine why
someone would _want_ privatization (in perpetuity) of any natural
resource. Perhaps that might be a more fruitful discussion. Is
private ownership of land somehow GOOD for the individuals of
a society or for the society as a whole?

--
"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers
of society but the people themselves; and
if we think them not enlightened enough to
exercise their control with a wholesome
discretion, the remedy is not to take it from
them, but to inform their discretion by
education." - Thomas Jefferson
http://GreaterVoice.org


.

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