From: yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu (victor yodaiken)
Newsgroups: sci.econ
Subject: Re: Milton Friedman...
Date: 1 Sep 92 12:26:47 GMT
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst

In article <1992Aug31.142622.3826@desire.wright.edu> demon@desire.wright.edu (Stupendous Man) writes:
>In article <52652@dime.cs.umass.edu>, yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu (victor yodaiken) writes:
>> In article <2098@usna.NAVY.MIL> potter@silver.usna.navy.mil (Mr. Jeff Potter (CADIG  STAFF)) writes:
>...
>>>  Just what type of economic system do you advocate? Your comments
>>>have been limited to derision of Libertarianism. So what is your
>>>Utopia? Status Quo Americana with a staggering deficit? Marxist
>>>Communism which has been a dismal failure all over the world (Just
>>>look at Cuba today if you need more proof. Soap is rationed to 1/2
>>>bar a month...). Pure socialism as Sweden had which also failed.
>>>  How much more proof do you need? The U.S. declining though it
>>>is, is an economic powerhouse because of CAPITALISM, and individual
>>>liberty. Please enlighten us as to your position.
>> 
>> 
>> Sweden was pure socialism?You must be using a non-standard definition
>> because a nation which has an economy dominated by privately held and
>> very large corporations is not usually considered to be "pure socialist".
>> And, while I am certainly no apologist for Castro, I think you need to
>> look at Cuba more closely. Cuba is under an economic blockade from the
>
>	Victor's political presuasion shines through here.  Even H*r*l can't
>defend the use of the term "blockade".  It's an embargo.

You caught me out. I'm a paid propagandist for the Cuban regime and only
your clever understanding of the deeply significant difference between 
"economic blockade" and "embargo"  has unmasked my devilish plot.

>	And prefectly legitimate.  Nobody should be forced to sell anything to
>anyone.  If I choose not to sell my goods in city A becuase I find their police
>system corrupt, should I be forced to sell my goods in city A anyway?

The US *embargo* is not a voluntary one, criminal penalties are imposed
on US firms or private citizens who violate it, and the US government
has attempted to prevent foreign firms and individuals from violating the
embargo as well.

>
>> dominant economic power in the region and has been the target of both
>> political and economic attacks for 30 years. Despite this, 
>> most Cubans have enjoyed  a standard of living which is far above that
>> of comparable latin american and Caribean nations. Compare Cuba, for
>
>	Those that aren't in prison--or dead.

Yes.

>
>> example, with Haiti, a nation which has welcomed American investment
>> and economic aid.
>

>	Haiti has been a military dictatorship of another flavor, and is faring
>even worse.  I think I'll compare both of them to Puerto Rico instead.

50% of the population on welfare, massive environmental degradation, 
grossly corrupt government wtih a police force that executes opponents,
and an economy which depends on food stamps and the money sent home
by migrant workers.  Go ahead.

>	Ahhh, thus the contempt for today's Libertarians.  They've
>out-libertarianed the socialists.
>
>	Libertarians hold individual rights supreme.  Socialists can not say
>the same.

"libertarians" hold property rights supreme, human beings have rights
not derived from little pieces of paper with official stamps on them.

>
>Brett                                                      
>_______________________________________________________________________________
>Proconsul Computer Consulting                                        CHA-CHING!
>Better, Cheaper, Faster					       (Pick any two :)
>Disclaimer:								   NOT!


-- 


yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu