You said "I've said it before and I'll say it again; capitalist systems cannot sustain innovative
energy or scientific responsibility"
Unfortunately, though, it is the best we've got. I've said it once and I'll say it again: there is no
such thing as altruism. (Nods to all the Objectivists in the audience)
Human Beings very rarely do things for the "academic desire for learning, or a desire to help the
sick." They do things out of a desire to promote their perceived self-interests. Period. The
"academic desire for learning" stems from desire for peer approval or fame. Same for "Desire to
help the sick". At the same time, there is a lot of money to be made in both of those areas, as
well as every area imaginable to humans. Having MegaBucks is usually good for promoting
one's self interest...therefore a lot of people want MegaBucks.
Even the religious martyr or the war hero who sacrifices his/her self in battle use the same
calculus. They each reason that the alternative of death is more in their self-interest than the loss
of freedom they feel.
Capitalism is far from perfect...but then again, what is? How exactly does
communism/fascism/totalitarianism/whatever foster "innovative energy or scientific
responsibility?" Usually by removing freedom and making everyone miserable. I would
rather have a few hundred thousand homeless than have three hundred million people
living in squallor eating cold borsht and drinking unsanitary water because there is nothing else
available.
Remember, people are self-interested, it is the way we are wired. Call it "natural selection" or
call it a "sin nature" or whatever you like. The evidence supports the hypothesis.
If we want to change the behavior of the MegaCorps and get them to have rational environmental
and I.P. policy, we need to make their behavior result in harm to their self-interest...i.e. the
bottom line...
...but lets not throw out the baby with the bathwater, ok? Reform, not revolution.
Now go have a nice total world domination.
Slashdot Mirror
You said "I've said it before and I'll say it again; capitalist systems cannot sustain innovative energy or scientific responsibility"
...but lets not throw out the baby with the bathwater, ok? Reform, not revolution.
Now go have a nice total world domination.
Unfortunately, though, it is the best we've got. I've said it once and I'll say it again: there is no such thing as altruism. (Nods to all the Objectivists in the audience)
Human Beings very rarely do things for the "academic desire for learning, or a desire to help the sick." They do things out of a desire to promote their perceived self-interests. Period. The "academic desire for learning" stems from desire for peer approval or fame. Same for "Desire to help the sick". At the same time, there is a lot of money to be made in both of those areas, as well as every area imaginable to humans. Having MegaBucks is usually good for promoting one's self interest...therefore a lot of people want MegaBucks.
Even the religious martyr or the war hero who sacrifices his/her self in battle use the same calculus. They each reason that the alternative of death is more in their self-interest than the loss of freedom they feel.
Capitalism is far from perfect...but then again, what is? How exactly does communism/fascism/totalitarianism/whatever foster "innovative energy or scientific responsibility?" Usually by removing freedom and making everyone miserable. I would rather have a few hundred thousand homeless than have three hundred million people living in squallor eating cold borsht and drinking unsanitary water because there is nothing else available.
Remember, people are self-interested, it is the way we are wired. Call it "natural selection" or call it a "sin nature" or whatever you like. The evidence supports the hypothesis.
If we want to change the behavior of the MegaCorps and get them to have rational environmental and I.P. policy, we need to make their behavior result in harm to their self-interest...i.e. the bottom line...
Universalcurb.
Well, thats _is_ what meltdowns do (reference the Hanoi Jane Fonda movie "The China Syndrome"). But not Chernobyl. It didn't melt down, it blew up.