>>Why is it so hard to imagine an institutional
>>structure where producers do market research, and if people don't
>>like the stuff they stop making it?
>
>Because I don't believe that people will act in any particular way
>without institutional incentives and disincentives to encourage the
>behavior in question. That's because I am such an individualist. It
>is complete and irresponsible idealism to suggest that we strive
>towards organizing a sysatem around no institutional incentives at
>all.
Now now, quit that. A universal right to economic security does not necessitate or even suggest the absence of any institutional incentives. For a start, recognition of effort and achievement is its own reward. For example:
"What sets open source software apart from commercial software is the fact that it's free, in both the political and the economic sense. If you want to use a commercial product such as Windows XP or Mac OS X you have to pay a fee and agree to abide by a licence that stops you from modifying or sharing the software. But if you want to run Linux or another open source package, you can do so without paying a penny--although several companies will sell you the software bundled with support services. You can also modify the software in any way you choose, copy it and share it without restrictions.
This freedom acts as an open invitation--some say challenge--to its users to make improvements. As a result, thousands of volunteers are constantly working on Linux, adding new features and winkling out bugs. Their contributions are reviewed by a panel and the best ones are added to Linux. For programmers, the kudos of a successful contribution is its own reward. The result is a stable, powerful system that adapts rapidly to technological change."
The Great Giveaway http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/copyleft/copyleftart.jsp
Another example of this widespread human phenomenon is the "old-economy" voluntary sector in present capitalist society. Millions of people voluntarily contributing their labour to projects they see as worthwhile. Just one example among many, in Australia most rural fire brigades are composed entirely of unpaid volunteers. They do it for the satisfaction of doing it and because it needs to be done. This is not aberrant behaviour, it is normal behaviour.
It really is time for you to acknowledge that money alone, or the threat of starvation and homelessness, is far from the only form of "incentive".
This is not some utopian theory, it is actually existing fact.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <../attachments/20020707/05ab7c49/attachment.htm>