Samuari
Twice Blessed
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2000
- Posts
- 4,072
Bah! Governments is dayflies. Any change of ideology, of mood, even, and poof goes your project. But private action, where everybody concerned is needful to everybody else’s income, that’s stable. Politics, they come and go, but greed goes on forever.
Nicholas Van Rijn in Poul Anderson’s Territory
A rather concise statement laze fare capitalism over central government planning. Before we get the left wing up in arms, there are a couple of things to notice. The comment is directed at the long term. Most government long-range projects start with good, even noble intentions. Because they are dependent on the political climate at the time they all to frequently are delayed interminably or never completed (i.e. the super colider in Texas, a permanent base on the Luna, completing and filling the strategic petroleum reserve, etc.) Private projects, have a much better chance of completion simply because they are driven not by the whims of public opinion, but by their economic viability and potential to deliver rewards to those who are will to risk the enterprise.
It seems to me that government has a role to play, but I am uncertain of what that function should be. Maintaining a level playing field, provider of seed money for capitalization, research sponsor, holder of a monopoly franchise? I think that all but the first activity are beyond government’s proper scope.
Nicholas Van Rijn in Poul Anderson’s Territory
A rather concise statement laze fare capitalism over central government planning. Before we get the left wing up in arms, there are a couple of things to notice. The comment is directed at the long term. Most government long-range projects start with good, even noble intentions. Because they are dependent on the political climate at the time they all to frequently are delayed interminably or never completed (i.e. the super colider in Texas, a permanent base on the Luna, completing and filling the strategic petroleum reserve, etc.) Private projects, have a much better chance of completion simply because they are driven not by the whims of public opinion, but by their economic viability and potential to deliver rewards to those who are will to risk the enterprise.
It seems to me that government has a role to play, but I am uncertain of what that function should be. Maintaining a level playing field, provider of seed money for capitalization, research sponsor, holder of a monopoly franchise? I think that all but the first activity are beyond government’s proper scope.
