[ExI] Private and government R&D

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2009/6/30 Dan <dan_ust at yahoo.com>:

> To me, this reveals a misunderstanding of what it means to operate voluntarily -- e.g., like a free market would or anytime people do stuff uncoerced.  Yes, they might not do everything with the expectation or desire for a money profit.  (I donate money and things freely to various groups and individuals.  I'm not expecting any money profit in return.  E.g., I donate clothes to a certain international organization.  I don't expect anything in return -- over and above, maybe feeling good about helping someone out.)

Then we could extend the free market to any collective action. People
choose to support a government that pays for science or education or
whatever, because they think it's a good idea. Not everyone agrees,
but they are bound by the decision of the majority, as IBM
shareholders are bound by the decision of the majority. If you limit
yourself to decisions that can be made only on an individual basis or
with 100% agreement of all affected individuals, that places a severe
limitation indeed on what can be achieved.


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou