Re: RE: Re: RE: From Brad De Long

[Doug Henwood]

Max Sawicky wrote:

>mbs:  I would guess other standards would defy calculation
>even more.  For instance, supposing all lives are assumed
>to be of equal value (I'd be surprised if actual C-B
>analyses did otherwise), you could imagine policies
>A and B of equal cost saved different numbers of lives.
>So being a neoclassical types would guide you to choose
>the more productive policy.  But there is much less, if
>any, guidance, as to how many lives in toto should be
>saved by all policies.  So there is limited or no rationale
>for an overall budget constraint, whether expressed in
>dollars or lives.

So what's the limit on this? What keeps you from descending to the 
horrific Summers/Pritchett level, where the logic of dumping toxic 
waste in Africa is "impeccable"?

Doug