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> Boy, I'm tempted to respond at length to this and the map/territory
> observation (and, BTW, you should know that I'm not a conservative; neither
> are/were most of the capitalist economists to whom I was referring). But I
> suspect this thread long ago wore out its welcome. :-)
Even a liberal is a conservative when seen from a socialist viewpoint :-)
What I meant to say was that capitalist economists all assume that capitalism
is natural and inevitable. That may or may not be true, but it is an unproven
assumption. As a result, their work becomes a justification of what is around
them. At times, this bias seriously damages their work, as when they create
straw figures for their opposition.
> "The democratic socialism, the great utopia of the last few generations, is
> not only unachievable, but that to strive for it produces something so
> utterly different that few of those who now wish it would be prepared to
> accept the consequences..."
A grand pronouncement, but I'm afraid that simply proclaiming that something is
so in grand tones make it true. Statements like this one (as well, I'm afraid,
of some of your own general statements) conveniently ignore all the socialistic
governments that have existed in the world and that presently exist that have
not fallen into totalitarianism - let alone the degree to which socialistic
ideas have been mingled with capitalistic ones in our mixed economies. Look at
reality, and you'll find all sorts of socialists, including ones who believe
that socialistic programs are needed to balance the extremes of capitalism,and
ones who are strongly anti-centralization.
Anyway, considering the ill-effects of monopoly and the concentration of wealth
that can happen in capitalism, the implication that socialism is the only road
to totalitarianism isn't very credible. As George Orwell (a devoted socialist
himself) pointed out repeatedly, any system can become totalitarian.
--
Bruce Byfield bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com 604-421.7177
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