----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 7:13 AM Subject: Re: Tom the Exterminator on the Middle East
> Of course. But they have a pretty impressive track record, don't you
> think?
They're still on top, to be sure. That doesn't mean every intermediate step on the path to sustained dominance was necessary.
> When I hear arguments about how the empire managers are
> ignorant or incompetent,
Yes, it's true that policy makers aren't incompetent boobs. But pursuing one's self-interest is extremely difficult. I think it's reasonable to think that pursuing the national interest is similarly difficult. There are bound to be many mistakes, some of them significant.
> I'm reminded of social democrats who
> sometimes argue that the bourgeoisie doens't know how to run
> capitalism - that low wages are counterproductive, and that taking
> the High Road would be better for all.
No, it certainly wouldn't be better for all. But, taking declining marginal utility into account, it probably wouldn't be significantly worse for anyone.
-- Luke
> Like the capitalists wouldn't
> have figured this out over the centuries.
>
> Doug