On Wed, 5 Jun 2002, Jim wrote:

>Why, my good little socialist friend -

Ha. That was funny. Me, socialist. Ha. I'll have to tell this the guys at
work.

>- do you too have no historical perspective
>like my dear friend Russel?

Actually I do have a historical perspective and I was exposed to socialism
against my will and I am one of those who voted with their feet and never
looked back.

I think that you misunderstood what I was saying.

My utopian 'system' would preclude totalitarian countries where market
forces as they are known and accepted do not function due to party policy,
tribe laws, religious beliefs, racial discrimination, or whatever else,
from participating in the 'open', free world economy, on equal terms with
other players. Your country has waged and still does wage active war(s)
against several such countries. I guess I do not have to dot the I's for
you.

A strike is an extreme manifestation of organized labor. It was given as
an example. In most normally functioning places strikes are rare as
discontent employees can get up and leave almost at will (within economic
and legal constraints which are somewhat acceptable). Obviously this is
not the way it works in a country where you would starve immediately when
doing this, assuming no-one would try to make you toe the line on top of
that and worse. This is not your idea of freedom I hope.

After all, a certain small island off your coasts shares 95% of the
ideology and political system of the other country often implied in this
thread and yet you buy nothing from it etc. What makes the difference
between them ? If the small island would occupy USA you would have to
organise a nation-wide search to locate the invading forces in order to be
able to surrender to them (for being so few among so many). A totally
different situation exists with the other large implied country. So what
makes the difference ? Miles ? Nukes ? Remember what happened when someone
shipped nukes to the small island as a gift ? Size matters ? Like to be
officially buddies with 20% of the world population ?

Lifetime total employment with no risk of ever being fired was granted to
all concentration camp inmates too, you know. And the goods they produced
were used far away from the camps, by normal people who often did not
know where they came from. I do not imply a direct parallel with the
countries quoted but as I said I have personal experience in the domain
and I have strong opinions on the subject. Not socialist opinions. Not at
all socialist I would say.

Peter

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList
mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu