Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site hou5d.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!vax135!ariel!hou5f!hou5e!hou5d!mat From: mat@hou5d.UUCP (M Terribile) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Re: Property (or Class Struggle? Wha Message-ID: <851@hou5d.UUCP> Date: Thu, 8-Mar-84 14:10:35 EST Article-I.D.: hou5d.851 Posted: Thu Mar 8 14:10:35 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Mar-84 07:08:23 EST References: <533@ihuxb.UUCP>, <7500080@ucbesvax.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ Lines: 38 Oh, good goddam! Here we go again. What is wrong/right with certain political/economic systems? Well, consider this: We generally have choices that allow us to take actions that are negative-sum or positive-sum (waiting or entering an intersection when there is no room to drive out of it). Under certain systems, individuals are rewarded for their efforts. Under others, they reward others without benefit to themselves. Setting up s system where people are rewarded for doing things that benefit others (like building Ronco-matics :-) ) is a positive-sum type of action. Everyone benefits. Setting up a system where one is rewarded for sitting on ones' duff, or where working with benefit to others does not benefit oneself is a negative-sum action. And this is where humanitarianism in politics goes too far. Everyone should have a real and immediate stake in how well she does, except for cases of real disability (what is insurance for?) and taking that stake away is asking for a person to become a burden to others and to himself. It is reported that Sweden, with its fantastic cradle-to-grave security system, has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. The pressure of keeping oneself motivated without the occasional crutch of necessity must be terrible indeed. Trusting government to keep such systems as welfare or Social Security well run is nearly hopeless, because neither the government beaurocracy as a whole not the individuals who make it up feel that kind of necessity. (Why couldn't S.S. be moved into private hands?) Mark Terribile hou5d!mat