| From: | Anthony W. Prime |
| Date: | 17 Oct 2000 at 17:42:00 |
| Subject: | Repression of the working classes :) [was Multitasking PCs] |
Hi Neil
> AP> Wha? "DOWN WITH CAPITALISM!!!". Bollocks. Monopolistic (or
> AP> Oligopolistic, whichever your viewpoint of the OS and Office market
> AP> happens to be) is not a triumph of capitalism. Quite the reverse.
> AP> Monopoly tends to lead to mediocrity.
> Monopoly, that is to say an undesigned monopoly, is the logical
> outcome from
> capitalistic competition. It's the thousands of corner shops to
> town centre
> shops to supermarkets to supermarket syndrome.
But not to a single supermarket?. Monopoloy is not the logical outcome of
textbook capitalism, but an imperfect market. People like the DOJ try to
mould the market to the capitalist ideal.
> AP> The USSR managed to run an economy fabled for poor quality design and
> AP> manufacturing, largely because the manufacturers were state run
> AP> monopolies with little incentive to do better, because their position
> I know I'll regret this (I always do, it's my failing), but .. Cuba has a
> socialist economy, is blockaded by the most powerful nation on earth, is
> politically isolated by said nation, yet still produces high
> quality products
> and professionals and provides an excellent quality of life.
But what is "quality of life"? A moot point, though I would have to agree
that in terms of social care their spend on healthcare is a fraction of most
western nations and achieves a similar life expectancy. Though I suspect
this is as a result of not being able to "enjoy" the dubious benefits of
life in a rich economy based around processed foodstuffs and overuse of
private transport leading to rising obesity and falling general standards of
health.
Though I should imagine Cubans enjoy the odd cigar :)
And they haven't got a monarch with supreme executive power derived from a
farcical aquatic ceremony involving a strange watery bint :)
Power to the people.
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