From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Fri Jan 21 2005 - 15:11:16 GMT
MSH:
> platt:
> I assume one of your "vital services" is reporting the news which, in
> lieu of being provided by a profit-making organization would be
> provided by ________?
>
> Your answer will be most interesting I'm sure.
>
> msh says:
> I believe that in a well-rounded society room will be made for BOTH
> profit-driven and non-profit-driven institutions. So people who want
> commercial saturated and subsidized tv and radio news can get it, and those
> who don't may have some viable alternatives. This would of course mean
> allocating broadcast and cable licenses in a way radically different from
> the bribe-based system currently in place. But this is a logistical
> problem than can be overcome by dedicated thinkers, given the freedom to
> engage in, and act upon, an open and high-quality interchange of dynamic
> ideas.
Gee, last time I looked my cable service offered over 200 different
channels, not to mention non-commercial channels like PBS, C-Span and
channels reserved by cable companies for educational purposes and
broadcast of local government meetings. As for how licenses to broadcast
are granted, I can't wait for the results of your "dedicated thinkers."
But before that, I'd like to know how such thinkers are to be chosen.
> platt:
> As for the evils of profit-making, what do you have to say in
> response to Pirsig's endorsement of free markets?
> As for Pirsig's endorsement of free markets, I agree that in theory
> they are dynamic and therefore good. But since nothing like a free-
> market system exists in reality, the point is moot.
So Pirsig's comparison of the dynamism of New York city with socialist
cities as "always dull" places was a moot point? Somehow I doubt Pirsig
goes around making moot points.
> We could,
> however, work to implement such a system. A good start would be for the
> government to refuse to bail out failed and/or corrupt businesses, such as
> energy companies, banks, airlines, weapons manufacturers, and to stop
> funding corporate research and development through grants and use of
> publicly owned research facilities such as university labs.
I agree with all that on condition that the government also remove all
regulation and taxation of the organizations you mention..
Regards,
Platt
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