[MD] Commie Talk and USA bashing?

[Ham Priday]

Hi Andre, Chris --

On 10/7 Chris stated:

The free market is a system that is greater than the biological components
that created it. Biological values is not at it's core, in fact, biological
values is often crushed by the market as life isn't something it values.  At
the core of the system that is the market there is nothing other than
profit. Indeed profit, translated into various symbols such as money holds
no value either  biological nor intellectual, although the value that lies
in money (or something equivalent of money) can be translated (yes,
translated is the right word) into things that have biological or
intellectual value. The value that lies in the accumulation of wealth  -
which is the core value here - is most closely related to POWER and
CELEBRITY - the most predominant social values there is. Money may equal
POWER and CELEBRITY, and even though it is natural that something that holds
great value to the social level will be beneficial also for the biological
level it is not really the same, although of course this is most notably
when it comes to the intellectual level and the social in conflict.

[Andre offered]:
> [I]t appears to me that given this guideline both capitalism and
> socialism belong to the *social level*...the whole operation, i.e
> this is not intellectualising at the abstract level.
> Their big difference being that capitalism has DQ as its built-in
> driving force and socialism hasn't...and that makes the difference.

[Chris reprimanded]:
> No, and for the hundredth time NO.  Capitalism doesn't have DQ
> as a built in driving force. Nothing does. Everyone should stop
> talking about it, because all anyone will EVER talk about is static.

The more I hear of Pirsig's philosophy, the less meaningful its labels seem 
when applied to human institutions.  Is a market system "biological" because 
people manage it, or is it "intellectual" because its accountants use 
mathematics?  I don't claim to be an economist, but one thing I know is that 
capitalism is never "static" unless it's not working at all.

The following paragraph was reprinted from the "Journal of Economic Issues" 
at Goliath (a business database) at 
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2880624/Capitalism-complexity-and-inequality.html 
(I've emphasized the relevant terms.)

"Capitalism is a SOCIAL FORMATION in which markets and commodity production 
are pervasive, including capital markets and labor markets.  Capitalism is 
the most DYNAMIC economic system in human history.  Its DRIVING LOGIC 
involves the expansion and diversification of multiple markets. As it 
expands, corporations seek ever-new opportunities for trade and gain.  As 
competition intensifies within particular markets, profit-seeking 
corporations innovate and diversify their products in unceasing creation of 
new market niches.  The competitive pursuit of profit pressures firms to 
invest in new technology or new skills.  In this quest for innovation, the 
frontiers of science and technology are advanced, leading to new fields of 
knowledge and enquiry.  Services are generally more diverse than 
manufactured goods; hence, diversity also increases with the increasing 
relative size of the service sector.  New and varied organizational forms 
are devised to increase productivity and to manage an exponentially 
expanding number of products and processes."

It would also be well to keep in mind that fluctuations and inequality in 
the marketplace are its very nature.  The more we try to control it - for 
intellectual, social or moralistic reasons - the less opportunity we have to 
enjoy the benefits of a free-market economy.

"Inequality of wealth and incomes is an essential feature of the market 
economy.  It is the implement that makes the consumers supreme in giving 
them the power to force all those engaged in production to comply with their 
orders.  It forces all those engaged in production to the utmost exertion in 
the service of the consumers.  It makes competition work.  He who best 
serves the consumers profits most and accumulates riches."
        -- [Ludwig van Mises: "Ideas on Liberty", May 1955]

Regards,
Ham