Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
By Cafe Hayek (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

Mysterious Sentences

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


(Don Boudreaux)

Tweet

Jim Ziegler sent to me this long essay by Bruce Schneier.  So far I’ve had time only to skim the essay.  My skimming leaves me less than impressed, although a more-careful reading might change my assessment of the essay as a whole.  But I’m quite certain that even ten careful re-reads will not cause me to regard this paragraph with anything other than a snicker:

Market thinking sometimes makes us lose sight of the human choices and autonomy at stake. Before we get controlled – or killed – by the world-size robot, we need to rebuild confidence in our collective governance institutions. Law and policy may not seem as cool as digital tech, but they’re also places of critical innovation. They’re where we collectively bring about the world we want to live in.

The first sentence of this paragraph is especially mysterious.  How is it that thinking about individuals each being free to choose in settings that typically offer a wide-variety of options “sometimes makes us lose sight of the human choices and autonomy at stake”?  I do not doubt that poorly informed people often think of, and speak of, markets as if markets are autonomous forces that not only are independent of the countless individuals whose choices are the very stuff of market processes, but also are higher entities with purposes and desires – entities that ‘rule’ individuals who operate within markets.

But such “market thinking” isn’t really market thinking; it flawed thinking.  One of the central virtues of markets – at least in comparison with what I’m sure Mr. Schneier means by “collective governance institutions” (namely, the state) – is precisely that in markets each individual has maximum autonomy and scope for choosing.  Restrict and regulate markets with state diktats and watch human choices and autonomy shrink.

When I do “market thinking,” above all I see the importance and reality of human choices and individual autonomy.

…..

The final sentence of the above-quoted paragraph is also especially mysterious.  Or, well, it would be mysterious if the notion there expressed weren’t so common.  Yet it’s a notion that is palpably mistaken, as familiarity with Arrow’s Theorem and public-choice scholarship make plain.  Strictly speaking, there is no detailed-enough collective preference for a “world we want to live in.”  Beyond agreement on platitudes and a few very broad aspirational goals, we individuals differ too much from each other in our specific preferences and beliefs about social reality to make a “collective” preference for a “world we want to live in” real.  No such thing exists, despite political-romantics’ frequent references to this mythical creature.

One of the most egregious errors of modern times is the widespread habit of assuming that the outcomes of democratic elections and of the operations of democratic governments are, or reflect, a “collective preference” that is comparable to an individual’s preference.

On this last point especially, Mr. Schneier would do well to study carefully the works of scholars such as Kenneth Arrow, Jim Buchanan, Bryan Caplan, Harold Demsetz, Robert Higgs, Randy Holcombe, Dwight Lee, Michael Munger, Mancur Olson, Sam Peltzman, Charles Plott, William Riker, George Stigler, Gordon Tullock, and Richard Wagner.


Source: http://cafehayek.com/2017/02/42254.html


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!


Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST


Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!

HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.

Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.

MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)

Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser!  Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!

Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.

Smart Meter Cover -  Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).

Report abuse

    Comments

    Your Comments
    Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

    MOST RECENT
    Load more ...

    SignUp

    Login

    Newsletter

    Email this story
    Email this story

    If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

    If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.