[PEN-L:28710] Expertise

["Justin Schwartz" <jkschw@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yoshie, you should get back to work.

> > 1) The straw men: Democray in this context does not mean that everybody
> > votes on the details of "how you run your shop". It does mean (and
> > Schweickart agrees) that everybody in your shop gets a vote. That is the
> > in a hospital, not only doctors, but nurses, Xray techs, receptionists,
> > floor sweepers, nutritionists, cooks all get an equal say in running the
> > place - whether  via direct democracy, the election of a council, or the
> > choice of a manager answerable to an elected council. And democracy also
> > demands that priorities in terms of how capital is allocated also are set
> > democratically.

As you know I support worker self-management. I am not sure that that has to
mean that the cleaning staff gets an equal say with regard to the way the
surgeons do their work, that's the same problem as the problem of the demos
that I mentioned. I assume that self-managed enterprises can work that sort
of thing out in an appropriate manner.

> > 2) Secondly, for the most part expertise does not mean a right of decision
> > making, but a right to advise. For example if I go to my doctor and she
> > recommends an operation, she has no right to order me to have that
> > operation, I can refuse, and if the doctor knows what she is doing suffer
> > or die as a result. But the point is that choice is mine; the doctor's
> > expertise gives her only a right to advise, not to order. As lawyer, you
> > should be all to well aware that the same is true for lawyers.

Depends. For doctorss and lawyers that is true. But I was not talking about
the right of experts to make decisions, but to give their advice, and act on
it if it accepted--that is, to to their jobs--without unhelpful intrusion by
the ignorant. There are experts whose job it is to make decisions, not give
advice, as well. Teachers come to mind as an instance, as well as all sorts
of govt officials--judges are another. That's why we call them judghes and
let the end their opinions with the words, Enter Order.

jks

jks


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