Market forces are stimied by both progressives, who want to reasonably dictate the order of things, and conservatives who wish to keep things the way they are. In Virgina Postrel's words: the stasists. Fundamentally, the market is both profoundly anti-conservative AND profoundly anti- central planning. It says: let's see what happens, because we can't control it and we can't predict it. Anyone with true conservative sentiments should oppose the market...it brings change. Anyone with true central-planning sentiments should oppose the market, as the distributions are completely unpredictable.I have got to settle down and read Virginia Postrel's The Future and its Enemies.
Rather the folks who support the market must resign themselves to the notion that freedom leads to unpredictable results, but that the freedom to trade has brought about more good in the last 200 years than the combined power of rulers, clergy, and academia have in the last 10000.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Quote of the Day, free markets edition
From Aretae who offers up what really is the last word on the matter:
Borepatch, I don't know what you've been eating/drinking over there, but your posts and links have actually helped me level up my critical thinking skills over the last month.
ReplyDeletePlease, keep at it as best you can - one day, perhaps, I can return the favor.
Thank you!