Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site whuxl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!packard!edsel!bentley!hoxna!houxm!whuxl!orb
From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: The Myth of Robinson Crusoe : reply to Sykora
Message-ID: <670@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 11:24:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: whuxl.670
Posted: Mon Jul  1 11:24:12 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Jul-85 05:31:17 EDT
References: <663@whuxl.UUCP> <2380049@acf4.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany
Lines: 43

> >From me: 
> >Not even Communist societies prevent
> >individuals from producing all the widgets they want in their own
> >homes.
> 
> From Michael Sykora:
> You've GOT to be joking  --  not even Communist societies?
> Our own society has passed numerous laws against working at home.
>  
 
Our society has created numerous laws against working at home 
*for profit or exchange* NOT for one's own use.  
My point was that no society, including
Communist societies have laws against  creating products for *one's
own use* (unless such products themselves are banned e.g. guns and drugs).
This is the Robinson Crusoe model of society and the economy: the
rugged individualist producing all her/his own goods.
But this hardly covers any of our actual economic life, particularly
in our increasingly interdependent society.
 
Almost all current economic life involves *relations of exchange with others*.
Therefore it is not simply one individual involved but a social relation
between individuals.  
As a social relation between individuals the members of society have
the right to decide that certain relations should be regulated to insure
*protection of all individuals rights*.
Most people would agree that murder is an unacceptable social relation.
Most people would also agree that people should not be exposed to
potentially fatal risks at their job unless they are very clear about
such risks.
Most people would agree that workers should not be subject to arbitrary
punishment at work without the possibility of lodging greivances.
The capability to lodge grievances against the caprice of managers
who simply take a personal dislike to somebody is an important
*protection* of individual rights made possible by the labor union
movement.
These advances were hardly an infringement of freedom but an
advance towards protecting individual's rights in the very important
social relation of employer-employee.
The irony is that Libertarians wish to remove these rights in the
name of freedom and liberty!
 
      tim sevener  whuxl!orb