Re: FCPUNX:time to learn chinese?
-- At 10:24 PM 2/9/98 GMT, Adam Back wrote:
The interesting aspect of her speculation was on the possibility of an economic and political process of change which would result in a transition directly from communism to a free market based political system, by-passing democracy and socialism. She viewed democracy and socialism as mistakes made by the west to be learned from and avoided.
In other words, instead of China taking over Hong Kong, Hong Kong takes over China. We shall see. Right now Hong Kong is being run by some rich capitalist chinese. (What else is new, you may ask) The problem with such systems is that they are vulnerable to the same disease that struck down Venice. Rich merchants aquire state power, soon are tempted by the easy and safe returns from confiscation and taxation, rather than the difficulty and risk of commerce, soon become aristocrats, equally contemptuous of the poor, of real businessmen, and of earning an honest living. --digsig James A. Donald 6YeGpsZR+nOTh/cGwvITnSR3TdzclVpR0+pr3YYQdkG f/S+Mn40UqaSQjsUULlWtwVMEkmnupDDQNCEyHSC 44TB2tTSr9ueaMq5FhuDDot2crWmnd7SePUYV0Qux --------------------------------------------------------------------- We have the right to defend ourselves and our property, because of the kind of animals that we are. True law derives from this right, not from the arbitrary power of the state. http://www.jim.com/jamesd/
James A. Donald wrote:
The problem with such systems is that they are vulnerable to the same disease that struck down Venice. Rich merchants aquire state power, soon are tempted by the easy and safe returns from confiscation and taxation, rather than the difficulty and risk of commerce, soon become aristocrats, equally contemptuous of the poor, of real businessmen, and of earning an honest living.
Wouldn't that be fixed if the state lost its monopoly on power? Distribute power and the abusers can't have it all. While it may be easy to hookwink the masses with propaganda (without internet/etc), once force monopoly power withers it will be difficult to convince Joe Blow to agree to something obviously not in his best interests. Or something like that... Jim
James A. Donald wrote:
In other words, instead of China taking over Hong Kong, Hong Kong takes over China.
A good friend of mine had the same idea in terms of Microsoft and Apple when Bill gave Steve "Reality Distortion Field" Jobs lots of money. His thought was that Microsoft thought they bought Apple off. What had really happend was that OpenStep took over Apple (it did via Rhapsody) and that since (he believes) that it will be ported to NT and become part of NT later, it is really Jobs's way of taking over EvilSoft. IMHO, I wouldn't mind if OpenStep penetrated NT. It would certainly be an upgrade in my book. :) Then again with the way EvilSoft worked in the past, it may corrupt both. :) We'll see I suppose. But capitatism is indeed a good virus (one would hope a strong enough one to topple the last of the big huge communist blocks.) :) -- =====================================Kaos=Keraunos=Kybernetos============== .+.^.+.| Ray Arachelian |Prying open my 3rd eye. So good to see |./|\. ..\|/..|sunder@sundernet.com|you once again. I thought you were |/\|/\ <--*-->| ------------------ |hiding, and you thought that I had run |\/|\/ ../|\..| "A toast to Odin, |away chasing the tail of dogma. I opened|.\|/. .+.v.+.|God of screwdrivers"|my eye and there we were.... |..... ======================= http://www.sundernet.com ==========================
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James A. Donald -
Jim Burnes -
sunder