On 03/09/2008, at 12:50 AM, John Williams wrote: > > > Charlie Bell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> Yes - regulations should be about putting a brake on waste and >> environmental damage, unethical practices and exploitation. > > I don't understand the "yes", since what follows the yes does not > agree with what > I wrote.
Yes it does. It only doesn't if you're ideologically tied to the idea that there should be no regulations at all. And given the differences in standard of living between say the USA and the Scandinavian countries, I'd say that a free market doesn't and shouldn't mean NO regulations, just a level playing field. Given the power of lobbyists in the States, I'd say that the American free market is an illusion anyway. > Waste is not something that can be efficiently identified and > reduced by > politicians. In the simplest terms it can. > And "environmental damage" has become trendy for politicians to > talk about, but the cures they propose are invariably more harmful. Really? So allowing a logging company to clear fell an entire forest, rather than only taking a percentage of trees, is fine in a free market? > So, No, not > "Yes". I would probably agree with a carbon tax or similar measures > that forces > carbon-emitters to bear the costs of pollution that everyone must > endure, but > government should not be creating specific rules on "waste" and > "environmental > damage". Why not? Chemical companies should not dump their waste in rivers. The only way you make them not do that in an otherwise free market is to have financial penalties if they do. > As far as unethical practices and exploitation, the politicians > excel at > those pursuits. Not a good idea to have politicians defining what is > ethical or > exploitative, beyond a basic legal framework for protecting property > and liberty > that was already established ages ago. You should be made aware that this is a global list, and that basic legal framework you're talking about only applies to your nation, not mine. Charlie. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
