Economics 002 and other stuff

O.K., O.K., I know economics isn't rocket science, and I was a little too eager in my prior posting (Economics 001) to point out its shortcomings by comparing it to the precise science of measuring the energy it takes to boil water. I should have used weather forecasting.

Still there are some aspects of the generally accepted axioms of free market economics that appear to be a bit absurd ... on their face ... AND after further examination. Well, let's say the axioms that are used to justify the actions of the particular person wielding enough power to act don't seem to add up all the time.

One way I have come to look at the business cabal monopolists who preach the glory of free market capitalism is they are like beach-goers who justify the use of funnels to make cone shaped mounds of sand on the beach while they disregard the effect of wind storms and tides. As they pour the sand through their funnel and it comes out in a perfect cone (if the wind isn't blowing and the water's not rising) they point to it as proof of the "Invisible Hand" at work.

Here we are with a shortage of flu vaccine staring at us and high-rise buildings crowding hurricane swept coastlines (to name but two instances of the irrational nature of some markets) ... and we still denounce rational economic planning as somehow anti-God. How can we forget our heritage in which communities of all different sizes and shapes come together to plan for streets, public transportation, utilities, education ... etc., etc., etc.?

Has our greed for the big individual material payoff so constricted our thinking that we reject any notion of raising the safety net to a reasonable level? Do we really believe that we need the threat of homelessness and malnutrition and untreated illness to force people to work for the minimum wage ... even if too young or too old or too disabled or too ill to work?

When did we as a Christian nation forswear the teaching of Jesus to judge ourselves by how we take care of the least among us? What have we become?

But these are questions. I really don't have the answers either. It's just that, to me, they are obvious questions that need answers that we must form together.

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Other stuff...


The leaves are turning color.

I walked Odin (our house mutt) and the neighbors' dog, Pepper, up in the South Mountain Reservation this morning.

That's right up there at the top of my list of desired things to do. Gawd, life is great!