Re: RE: RE: private property?

["Justin Schwartz" <jkschw@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

 If you
> believe that there is something inherently noble in democratic decision
> making regardless of the results of the decision making, then you have
> chosen an end which I do not share.
We have a fundamental disagreement, then, david. I think that democratic
decisionmaking, including wrong democratic decisionmaking, _is_
fundamentally noble; indeed; it is an essential constituent of the good
life. I think this is true not just because I think democracy promotes
individual happiness overall better than the alternatives, although it does
because the alternative is minority rulke in the self interest of the
minority; and not just because democracy is ther fairest way to make
decision that affect us all, including how social resources are to be
allocated, but also because the exercise of human powers in collective self
government develops those powers, making us better and freer people.

I would see the democratic principle enhanced in politics and extended to
the economy. I regard it as incompatible with private ownership of
productive assets, because that allows the private owners to unilaterally
make decisions that affect us all, regardless of its effect on the welfare
of others, without their having a far say in the matter; and it corrupts
politics because those that have the gold, rule. I advocate markets, as is
notorious on this list, but that is quite different from private property.

--jks
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