[PLUG-TALK] Re: [PLUG] Sounds good to me ;)

Jeme A Brelin jeme at brelin.net
Fri Jun 21 03:52:17 UTC 2002


On Thu, 20 Jun 2002, Miller, Jeremy wrote:
> Hrm.  I'd grant the right to ask for it.  But if it is actually mine,
> I'll be the judge of whether or not he needs it more than I do.  If I
> agree, he might be in luck.  Or maybe I will share if it isn't too
> much impact.
[snip]
> (In other words, who determines the need... the taker or the holder?  
> I say the holder, or we end up with way too much taking.)

It's not a one-sided exchange.  It is surely possible for a person to
withhold a scarce good (or item) from those who truly need it, so to say
that the determination of need (and therefore right of possession) lies
entirely on the needy is unworkable.  However, it is also true that there
are people who do and will continue to refuse to admit that there is a
difference between their desires and needs.

This is the fundamental problem of sharing and it's something that we all
need to address every day in our lives.  Like the freedom/security
question, the want/need question requires eternal vigilance... often of
ourselves.

So, to sum up, it is the responsibility of those who have unmet needs to
express and attempt to meet those needs.  It is also the responsibility of
those who have an excess to consider whether their excess can be put to
use meeting the needs of others.

This excess could be time, food, money, shelter, or anything else at all.

J.
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     Jeme A Brelin
    jeme at brelin.net
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