Re: FCPUNX:time to learn chinese?

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At 10:24 PM 2/9/98 GMT, Adam Back wrote:
> The interesting aspect of her speculation was on the
> possibility of an economic and political process of change
> which would result in a transition directly from communism
> to a free market based political system, by-passing
> democracy and socialism.  She viewed democracy and 
> socialism as mistakes made by the west to be learned from
> and avoided.

In other words, instead of China taking over Hong Kong, Hong
Kong takes over China.

We shall see.

Right now Hong Kong is being run by some rich capitalist
chinese.

(What else is new, you may ask)

The problem with such systems is that they are vulnerable to
the same disease that struck down Venice.  Rich merchants
aquire state power, soon are tempted by the easy and safe
returns from confiscation and taxation, rather than the
difficulty and risk of commerce, soon become aristocrats,
equally contemptuous of the poor, of real businessmen, and of
earning an honest living. 

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         James A. Donald
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We have the right to defend ourselves and our property, because of 
the kind of animals that we are. True law derives from this right, 
not from the arbitrary power of the state.

http://www.jim.com/jamesd/

James A. Donald wrote:
> The problem with such systems is that they are vulnerable to
> the same disease that struck down Venice.  Rich merchants
> aquire state power, soon are tempted by the easy and safe
> returns from confiscation and taxation, rather than the
> difficulty and risk of commerce, soon become aristocrats,
> equally contemptuous of the poor, of real businessmen, and of
> earning an honest living.
> 

Wouldn't that be fixed if the state lost its monopoly on
power?  Distribute power and the abusers can't have it
all.  While it may be easy to hookwink the masses with
propaganda (without internet/etc), once force monopoly
power withers it will be difficult to convince Joe Blow
to agree to something obviously not in his best interests.

Or something like that...

Jim

James A. Donald wrote:

> In other words, instead of China taking over Hong Kong, Hong
> Kong takes over China.

A good friend of mine had the same idea in terms of Microsoft and Apple when
Bill gave Steve "Reality Distortion Field" Jobs lots of money.  His thought was
that Microsoft thought they bought Apple off.  What had really happend was that
OpenStep took over Apple (it did via Rhapsody) and that since (he believes)
that
it will be ported to NT and become part of NT later, it is really Jobs's way of 
taking over EvilSoft.

IMHO, I wouldn't mind if OpenStep penetrated NT.  It would certainly be an
upgrade
in my book. :)  Then again with the way EvilSoft worked in the past, it may
corrupt
both.

:)  We'll see I suppose.  But capitatism is indeed a good virus (one would
hope a strong enough one to topple the last of the big huge communist blocks.)
:) 

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