Wei Dai wrote:
> People don't mind competition if it's voluntary, but you can't opt out of
> economic competition. I think it's a necessary evil, not something to be
> desired for its own sake. Clearly some people do enjoy competition, and
> they should certainly be able to participate, but what's the point of
> forcing competition on people who hate it, besides efficiency?
Sure you can "opt out." Reduce your expectations. Settle for less.
The same, of course, is true of e.g. athletic competition. If you
aren't good enough to compete, you "opt out."
--
Prof. Bryan Caplan
(To Bryan-a fine Mary Poppins quote)
Wei Dai added here a fine "contrarian" note (for this list). But in the
"opting out", Bryan is not clear/blunt enough: (1) you can choose to be
homeless, take no jobs nor responsibility, and peacefully beg from others
who, "if it's voluntary", can give to you (or not) with no moral problems.
(This includes living with parents or other loved ones, from whom receipt of
resources isn't quite begging from strangers.) (2) You can become a thief,
and take other's property by force/ fraud/ in secret -- illegally, until you
get caught & punished. (3) You can voluntarily offer to do work/ be useful
to somebody else, in return for money--welcome to the rat race. Honest &
voluntary, that's where I'm at and most normal folks.
Because begging and stealing are not attractive options, many may wrongly
fell that "you can't opt out of competition".
There does exist option (4): beg from the government, who will steal/ take
other's money, for you. (A case could be made that most academics are in
this category -- but prolly a majority of folks in the US get at least a
portion of their income from gov't supported programs, depending on the
indirect inclusiveness.) And the problem with gov't redistribution is that
the gov't collection is NOT voluntary; it is NOT something that folks can
opt out of.
I truly don't see any other living alternatives, "forced" by reality. The
free market and honest capitalism is all about (3), making (and keeping) the
best voluntary agreements. And the materialist benefits available ONLY to
such market participants is usually enough incentive to join up.
But nobody has challenged you, Wei: do you know anybody admirable who
"hates" competition? Ghandi comes to mind as a stereo-type, living in rags,
spinning his own cotton threads, a very unhappy wife ...
Tom Grey
