--- Steven Bissell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Nancy, your main point below seems to be "Capitalism requires expanding
> markets." If that were so, I'd agree that capitalism is basically
> incompatible with environmental protection and therefore has connections
> to
> environmental ethics. However, I do not agree that capitalism *requires*
> expanding markets. In fact a lot of though (albeit not much effort) has
> gone
> into static market theory in recent years. I agree that the myth of the
> expanding GNP needs to be abandoned, but I think that has more to do
> with
> politics than economics.
Don't forget about technical advances. It seems possible to have an
expanding GNP via technical advances and at the same time decreases in
various inputs.
> As to the benefits of capitalism being concentrated in the hands of the
> wealthy, I agree, but I'd observe that this isn't because of capitalism
> per
> se, rather particular social system in which capitalism is being
> practised.
I don't know, I think this tendency happens in a variety of systems. You
have to admit that the privileged few in the former Soviet Union had many
luxuries the common person didn't. Couldn't this been seen as a
concentration of wealth?
> For example, the emerging capitalism of China is doing a pretty good job
> of
> spreading the wealth. I saw just yesterday that a chinese official was
> executed for grabbing more than his share; not a bad idea when you think
> of
> it.
Well....perhaps a bit extreme.
Steve
=====
"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
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere!
http://mail.yahoo.com/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|