From: Arlo J. Bensinger (ajb102@psu.edu)
Date: Tue Jul 06 2004 - 18:56:29 BST
Platt, perhaps you or someone else could explain something to me...
On Tue, 06 Jul 2004 11:43:06 +0000, "Platt Holden" wrote:
> But, he more than makes up for it by pronouncing free enterprise morally
> superior to socialism.
>
> Platt wraps it up:
> Agree, although given his druthers, I'll bet Pirsig would pick capitalism
> over socialism as being the lesser of two flawed systems.
>
I've reviewed your posts, from the Lila Squal on, and you seem absolutely
adamant that "free enterprise" equates **exactly and only** with the current
instantiation of capitalism. That is, your unquestioned and unfaltering support
of modern capitalism seems to rest soley on the belief that these two terms are
exactly interchangeable and exclusive to one another. Moreover, you use this
statement to support *everything* about modern capitalism. Is this a correct
observation?
Furthermore, from *all* the posts I've reviewed LS onward, there seems to be an
ongoing tendency for the discussion to get pulled down into "capitalism versus
socialism", as if these idealogies must be accepted "as is" and if there are no
other alternatives. I mentioned this in my last post, and yet here it comes up
again, "pick capitalism over socialism". My response would be "so what?". But I
bet Pirsig is wise enough to know that these are not the only two choices.
There are other options, and better ways of instantiating the systems we have
in place. This is what I believe the MOQ should be (and Gav and Anthony and
Mark and others are) doing.
So, I think nearly everyone on this list agrees that free markets are more
moral. I think most people (again, on this list) do not believe that only the
current practice of capitalism is capable of supporting free markets. I think
that most people (on the list) feel there are valid and important criticisms to
the current practice of capitalism (and socialism) brought out by the MOQ that
should be (and need to be) discussed. Importantly, I don't think anyone else is
making this into an absurdly dichotomized "capitalism versus socialism"
argument. The MOQ textbook (from what Anthony has posted) is very clear in its
criticism of both systems, it is not an argument *for* socialism. It is an
argument for a MOQ-expanded view of the marketplace. A dialogue I hope proceeds
without being drug down into "capitalism/socialism" falsity.
But, let me also rephase and reask you this one specific question to move the
dialogue onward. If, as Pirsig has indicated, employee-owned companies are more
moral than corporations, and we see all the evidence that employee-owned
companies are not competitive in the current static economic system, is there
no criticism we can bring against the system? Or is it simply a matter of
"well, capitalism is better than socialism, so what can you do?"
Arlo
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