Comments on: Ms. Deborah Orr

By: Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:14:23 +0000

The technology and other benefits of growth are already in the growth statistics in the main (the bits that aren’t are behind the recent Stiglitz paper)

By: Brian, follower of Deornoth

Brian, follower of Deornoth — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:24:56 +0000

I’ve an idea. Perhaps Deborah Orr (and other green slime) can have the same standard of living as most people did 200 years ago. Shortly after, when they have died of something, the rest of us can get on in peace and earn a living.

By: gene berman

gene berman — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:23:50 +0000

sconzey:

You’re exactly correct but it should be added that the mechanism spreading around the fruits of advancement is (for both prices and wages) competition .

In human society, competiton achieves social cooperation w/o conflict; wherever there are interferences with competiton, there will conflicts arise which only violence or threat of such can remedy. The potential for peaceful
cooperation is due primarily to the inherent INEQUALITY between individuals and the intensification of such inequality through culture, education, and specialization of effort.
Were people equally endowed (or as equal as
the Left choose–in the face of all available evidence of experience and science–to insist),
no peace would be possible except as mandated
by something resembling a soviet-style system
of all-round dictatorship.

By: gene berman

gene berman — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:59:34 +0000

Kit:

Over here, when the hoes take a step too far, their pimps get them back in line.

By: sconzey

sconzey — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:58:04 +0000

@TGS

They are the same thing. Greater levels of technology give us more efficient (in both time and material inputs) processes and allow us to lower prices and raise wages.

By: Kit

Kit — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:55:42 +0000

There are quite a few guardian folk that think the hoe was a step too far.

By: The Great Simpleton

The Great Simpleton — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:15:18 +0000

Surely the question isn’t about salaries but about technology and the other benefits of growth? What you should really be asking is there anyone out there who would go without the benefits of medicines, cars, washing machines, electricity etc?

As you have often said, back to hoeing the fields to scratch a living isn’t very appealing.