RE: [ox-en] Re: Open Source and Open Money
- From: "Kermit Snelson" <ksnelson subjectivity.com>
- Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 16:02:40 -0800
Keith Hart's most recent post pretty much says it all. I fully agree with
every paragraph except the fourth, in which he speaks of LETS as a
Hayek-inspired "little furry mammal" strategy against the dinosaur
establishment.
I like to argue at the level of ideas, not personalities. Therefore, I'll
leave it to the Googlers on this list to decide for themselves how well the
late University of Chicago professor Friedrich von Hayek's work has served
Engels's ideals of socialism and economic democracy.
Instead, I'll just ask a question. When you think of opening up a commons
to democratic control, is "privatization" the first word that springs to
mind? Consider the recent history of commons such as railroads, airlines,
power grids, postal services, telephone exchanges. Who do you think has
been behind the move to privatize them? And who would benefit most from
privatizing what is perhaps the most vital (human-made) commons of all:
cash? The exercise I suggested in the last paragraph may provide some
hints.
Kermit Snelson
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