[extropy-chat] The liberty-responsability pressure on individuals

Rafal Smigrodzki rafal at smigrodzki.org
Thu Nov 13 23:19:00 UTC 2003


JDP wrote:

>
> Now, when things *got* organized, the efficiency of this system may
> not be quite as good. Take my neighborood, and suppose one has little
> special qualification: how is one going to make oneself useful, and
> sustaining oneself in the process? Can you, for example, settle as a
> maker/seller of some common good? Hardly. There is a supermarket which
> is very effective in doing that, and a better convenience (and with
> better prices) for people that what you are likely to offer. The
> supermarket *is* lacking in certain things, for example the bread is
> not very good. So maybe you could make very good bread and sell it to
> the people who can make the difference? You could, but there are
> already *four* competing bakeries *only in my street* (one of them
> will likely close soon, as it is the least visited). And so on.

### You might want to consider the law of comparative advantage. Contrary to
what you are saying, the more organized a market is, the easier it is to
find a niche providing products and services. Have you ever thought about
having a butler, or a personal secretary? Somebody who would do all the
things you can do yourself, but never have the time for, like cleaning your
shoes, walking the dog, and running your schedule? How much would you pay
for such a service? Would you be willing to pay the equivalent of food
needed to sustain the butler, plus the cost of housing him/her, perhaps in a
room in your basement (2000-3000$/year)?

I would, even though I am by far not rich. This means that it is essentially
impossible for a reasonably nice able-bodied person to be unemployed against
his will (unless the  state intervenes to prohibit butlers at below the
so-called "minimum wage").

------------------------------------



> But you probably couldn't use the "cooperation" with some uneducated
> individual. You might appreciate that person, smile at them, but
> paying them? And if you don't, who will?

### I will. Just take away the taxes and don't interfere.

Rafal




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