Patrick,

Sorry this took so long, and even yet I still have yet to read much of the
links you provided.  However, I am glad you are taking this topic
seriously.

You mentioned System Condition 4 and my lack of comment.  Let me first
repeat it for those who forgot (like me)

System Condition 4:
We must be fair and efficient in meeting basic human needs. 
This means that, in a sustainable society, basic human needs must be met
with the most resource-efficient methods possible, including a just
resource distribution. 

Well, I don't have much problem with it.  For example, markets are
extremely efficient at allocating resources, when there are no
externalities and information is complete.  When there are externalities
then there are remidial measures that can be undertaken to correct for
them.  Also, I think it is important to acknowledge that in some cases it
is better to live with the externality than to try and correct for it
(e.g. when the fix is more expensive than the externality).

As for information, I think the government can provide some help on this. 
I am usually leary of government agencies trying to tell people what to
do.  However, providing them with information and letting them make their
own decisions is another matter.  Also, when government intervention is
called for, perhaps a local approach is better than a federal approach. 
For example, on another site there was a discussion about the current Fed.
EPA.  The general conclusion is that in its current form it is pretty
lousy.  My preferred revision is to make the Fed. EPA a source of
information for local agencies, sort of like a library and data
repository.  Also, give the agency power to mediate between two or more
localities when there are policy conflicts.

Now, fairness is a real problem.  How is that defined?  Equalizing income
levels?  Well that would immediately and completely do away with poverty,
but I am troubled about the effects such a policy would have on work
incentives, incentives for creating new and useful inventions, etc.  Also,
what about the economic impacts of taking the worlds wealth and dividing
it by the number of people?  What would be the effects in say Algeria of
the income levels increasing several fold?  Now, this criterion seems
problematic to me, but hopefully you have something to mollify my
concerns.

Thanks again Patrick, I really appreciate your thoughtful responses.

Steve



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"In a nutshell, he [Steve] is 100% unadulterated evil. I do not believe in a 'Satan', but this man is as close to 'the real McCoy' as they come." 
--Jamey Lee West

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