Re: Public/Private

[Kenneth Campbell <kkc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David the Conservative Masochist wrote:

>I am curious-- what is the definition of protectionism and
>rent seeking that treats free trade as protectionism and rent
>seeking?

Others of the noteworthy crew here can fill in the specifics on that one
better than I...

>Doesn't that just create analytical confusion?  I mean, cats
>and dogs are both animals, but why would you want to refer to
>a dog as a cat?

Cats and dogs... Names... I see your point.

I suppose it's not unlike the long debate about positivism and realism
or positive vs. substantive law? Maybe? (Those later terms are used in a
myriad of ways -- conventionalist, naturalist, realist, normative,
etc. -- so forgive the short-hand and please assume that I only intend
the most lucid definition you happen to prefer.)

One could, generally, define positive laws as being idealist and having
more to do with Utopian hopes rather than describing how things really
are. For instance, in Canada of late, the hand-wringing over marijuana
law changes. The actual marijuana laws haven't done anything except
probably breed ongoing disrespect for law in recent generations of youth
and also help elevate the profit margin of marijuana production for
black market organizations.

Yet, there the laws are. And there the ideologues are in the U.S.,
trying to pressure Canada into tempering the marijuana changes.

I would suspect most free market ideologues are "positive" in their
sensibilities. They don't see the larger picture in which their "free
market" fantasies are really propped up by, say, bureaucracy (including
illegal bureaucratic operations via "intelligence services"), media
monopoly, the regulated army of the unemployed... and those real armies,
of course. Once those structures are in place, "then" you get that great
"free market." Free markets only exist in the most structured, ordered,
bureaucratic backdrops.

Some economists seem to point out those things... About what is really
happening, not the ideologue/positivist pronouncements, but actually on
the ground.

And I guess these guys end up pointing out, now and then, that the "dog"
is really a "cat" -- and that the emperor not only has no clothes, he's
doing something rather indecent with that dog/cat.

(But maybe that was your point in mentioning the public/private nature
of everything from traffic jams to corner stores, it's all intertwined
so what is really "in" the name. And thus you are a closet Karl
Marx-ist. :)

Ken.

--
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie'
until you can find a rock.
          -- Will Rogers