From: Arlo J. Bensinger (ajb102@psu.edu)
Date: Tue Jul 13 2004 - 17:35:48 BST
Jon
> Now hold on...some clarification, please. How does one experience "more
> freedom" in the Netherlands and Denmark than in America? And last time I
checked,
> no one in America can "maximize wealth at any cost". Plenty of people who
> try this end up in prison. So there are clearly "rules" here in the USA.
> Jon
>
As Platt points out, it depends on your definition of "freedom" :-)
I could point to some seemingly trivial restrictions on my personal freedom in
America, such as the ability to walk through the downtown area carrying a
"GASP" open bottle of ale. I have quite fond memories of strolling down the
streets of Kobenhavn with several friends on a warm summer evening, drinking
bottles of Tuborg Gold. We would have been thrown in jail (or at least given
fines) for doing the same thing right here in good ol' USA. Same with nude
sunbathing (except for secluded and marked off areas). We have laws (or are
making laws) prohibiting "gays" from marrying.
But, instead I will tell you what a close friend, a resident of Albertslund,
said to me. She said, "You Americans argue that because our tax rate is so high
we are not free. But these taxes ensure everyone has access to health care,
without having to worry about insane medical bills that would bankrupt us or
stressing each day as to whether or not we'd wake up in the morning and find
ourselves without medical insurance. This is to me much more freedom. The
freedom to live without having to spend each day afraid of tomorrow."
The same applies to higher education. When the citizenry is free to "learn"
(instead of turning learning into a market commodity), their overall personal
freedoms increase exponentially. People are "free" to follow their desires and
talents. Some would have you believe that student loans (and the like) make
higher education available to any and all, but I can tell you it does not. I
work for a University. And I have known personally over the years many bright
students who had to drop out because their loan money did not come through. In
America, the answer would be "tough". In Denmark, that person would be free to
pursue learning.
But, as I'm sure will be argued, the American dialogue is so structured that
"maximizing wealth" (here through "lower taxes") is a better "personal"
freedom. And that (with the exception of "national defence" and the judicial
system) everything is best viewed as a market commodity. Which makes sense,
after all, if money measures Quality, what better way to determines something's
worth than to put it up for sale.
Now, lest you think I am a total "Denmark over America" arguer (I can hear the
cries of "well if you love it so much go live there!"), I will say that one
thing I disagree with in this argument is compulsory military service, which I
think the Danes still have.
And yes, there are rules to "maximizing profit at any cost" here in the USA.
But, (1) some want them removed because they are a "stifling" social layer
inhibiting the market from responding to Dynamic Quality, and (2) they are
often not enforced (as in the case of dumping lead into the groundwater of
Tijuana) or bypassed (as in the case of going overseas to get a supply of slave
labor because there exists a "minimum wage" here in America).
This idea of needing *both* static good to prevent degeneration into chaos, and
Dynamic Good to allow evolution is the "sweet spot" being discussed in another
thread.
Arlo
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