Re: The Intellectual Origins Of America-Bashing By Lee Harris

From: Grant Callaghan (grantc4@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue 10 Dec 2002 - 20:03:17 GMT

  • Next message: joedees@bellsouth.net: "Re: The Intellectual Origins Of America-Bashing By Lee Harris"

    >Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 12:14:11 -0600
    >
    > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > From: <joedees@bellsouth.net>
    > > > > When you say it "works" or "doesn't work" what do you mean? What
    > > > > does it do or doesn't do that you think it must do?
    > > > >
    > > > It provides those who adopt it with a higher average standard of
    > > > living than other models, just as democracy provides citizens with a
    > > > greater voice and more personal freedom than other models (at least
    > > > than any alternatives that have been tried).
    > >
    > > i think that above and beyond all that (which is somewhat subjective,
    > > wouldn't ya say?), capitalism and "democracy" (yet to be actually
    > > implemented, wouldn't ya say?) "work" because they have the dynamic
    > > capacity to adopt strategies "on the fly" to prevent other ideas from
    > > gaining enough footing to replace them. the reason americans are
    > > conned into making a duality (communist or capitalist, dictatorship or
    > > democracy) is because it keeps out other ideas and prevents the
    > > CREATION of new ones. it discourages, dissuades and otherwise destroys
    > > competition. the only reason these two ideas stand at the forefront is
    > > because they can infect more people, not because there is some
    > > qualitative superiority inherent in them.
    > >
    >I would phrase it another way; these systems are perpetually
    >evolutionary, and can change, in response to voter desires, to take
    >advantage of the novel ideas and opportunities that the voters wish to
    >implement. They are dynamic and evolutionary, rather than static and
    >fixed, and engage in continuous elaboration and experimentation.
    >Their futures are not dogmatically predetermined, so they can
    >effectively respond to the unexpected exigencies of an unfolding
    >history. And this is a GOOD thing.
    > >
    > > alfred
    > >
    What you call a thing doesn't always describe what it really is. The Chinese now call their system communism with Chinese (meaning capitalist) characteristics. But it has defenitely made a new country out of China over the past 20 years.

    Grant

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