Me: > > Now, the science of economics, which due to its large degree of > > "inexactness" _really_ ought to depend heavily upon experiments, are > > not _allowed_ to experiment! Only one economic "laboratory set-up" is > > allowed these days: all-out market liberalism. > > Mark A. Nadler replies > And I thought that the Soviet Union, China, West European welfarism, > African socialism, etc. were experiments outside of market liberalism. > Yes, and they - except what you call European welfarism* - failed, for different reasons: - no or few earlier experiences with socialism to build upon, while capitalism has seen some hundred years of practice. - one-sided focus on economics, ignoring the importance of democracy (one-party state etc.) - tried in poor countries, with a small working class and low educational level. - intensive attempts to destroy the socialist experiments from outside with propaganda, economic pressure and outright military means. Today one should be able to "design" socialist alternatives based upon those experiences, and therefore with a much higher likelihood of success. But as I said, _one_is_not_allowed_to... Since Mark's phrasing seemed a bit polemical, allow me to return some questions in the same spirit: ;-) Does Mark agree with my characterization of (macro)economics as a neccessarily inexact science which therefore is in dire need of experimentation? If not, please explain why! Does Mark agree that no experimentation is allowed except unfettered capitalism in today's world? If not, please explain why! Does Mark consider capitalism so succesful that it is only natural that alternatives should be outlawed? If not, what sort of experiments should be tried out in Mark's views? ___ * This phrase says it all. As a Scandinavian I have still to be shown a credible analysis of why this "welfarism" has "failed". The trouble is that the welfare system has been intentionally more or less dismantled by the ruling elite, and when people have observed the results, the elite's ideological supporters in academia have written papers where they importantly conclude that the "welfare state has failed". Example: First reducing the budgets in the public health sector, and when the public reacts to worse service, then one can conclude that "we have to have private health care since the PHS doesn't work well enough". Trond ------------------------------------------------- | Trond Andresen ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) | | lecturer | | Department of Engineering Cybernetics | | The Norwegian Institute of Technology | | N-7034 Trondheim, NORWAY | | | | phone (work) +47 73 59 43 58 | | fax (work) +47 73 59 43 99 | | private phone +47 73 53 08 23 | | | | http://www.itk.unit.no/ansatte/Andresen,Trond | ------------------------------------------------
