[PLUG] [OT] Who is John Galt?

[Jeme A Brelin]

On Thu, 29 May 2003, david pool wrote:
> So suppose businesses do that, and design systems that improve the world
> and make life more worth living. Wouldn't it be good if that business
> then helps coordinate people and helps them wield consolidated power?

It's not part of the mandate right now.  There's nothing in it for the
bigwigs.  It requires long-term (like posterity) considerations that are
far beyond most people's decision-making capacity.  That's basically the
reason why consolidated power is a bad thing.  Obviously, it can be used
to actively oppress people and that's bad.  But it is also bad because it
allows for greater effectiveness and efficiency.  If a single person
wielding a single person's power makes a mistake, the repercussions are
usually small and the system can adapt and compensate.  If a mistake is
made with massive amounts of consolidated power, you get premature
extinction, rivers catching fire, poverty, and war.

J.
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     Jeme A Brelin
    jeme at brelin.net
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