Re: A study in facts

[Arvind Kumar <arvind.kumar@rocketmail.com>]

---Srikumar <Srikumar@simexmail.com.sg> wrote:

> 
> I don't understand why we get into this debate of
free market vs socialism
> all the time. I would tend to agree with the
observations of Sastry and Ash
> that the answer does not lie in either extreme. By
branding the ideas with
> some 'isms' each one is forced to interpret it the
way he sees that 'ism'.

I do not suggest any extreme. Free enterprise with
suitable laws to control those aspects which are
unfair. 

 
> "Equal Opportunity" is a nice ideal to aim for and
is very fair. However,
> you can never achieve this because you are born in
some environment and you
> have to make the best use of that which is given to
you.  How do you know
> how many 'Sachins', died in the slums of B'bay
without even getting an
> opportunity to hold a cricket bat? Are we right to
say that they deserved
> it
> because they never tried or were unwilling to put
in hard work?

My contention is that the number of sachins lost under
a free market system would have been lesser than we
are losing under the socialist regime.
I see your point on "Equal Oppurtunity". We should
do away with that term and substitute it by "Adequate
Oppurtunity". A person who has access to food, 
clothing, shelter and education could be said to have
adequate oppurtunity. Maybe we can define it to include
whatever is the minimum necessary. Sure, ap erson with
all the above plus a million dollars has an advantage
but we should look at the minimum.
One look at the human Development Report tells us that
the richer countries were all more capitalistic. The
minimum standard in these countries too is better than
the minimum in socialist/dictatorial countries.
What should we look at? Should we feel happy when we
have nothing and live in a hut just because we feel
secure with the knowledge that everybody else lives
in misery too and are therefore equal to us? Should
I reject a capitalist system which will ensure 
better minimum standards just because my neighbour
has a few hundred rupees more than what I have and
the principleof equality is not met? 
Should I reject a capitalist system which will ensure
dignified life for most people because I read somewhere
that 23.657231% of the wealth was concentrated 
with a few people? That would be envying others'
wealth instead of being content with my own. I am not
asking the poor to be content. I am saying that the
living standards are so low because those countries
followed socialism.
> 
> IMHO, too much disparity will invariably lead to
social unrest,
> irrespective

There will be social unrest only if this 20% lives
in squalid conditions. I really wish there was a
social unrest in india calling for "Reformasi"!
That will improve the lifestyle of this 20%. It
will also increase the disparity but why bother
when all have "enough"?

> of the cause of the disparity. A few generations
later, you are not going
> to
> accept that you are poor because your father or
grandfather was lazy!

I do not care if they were lazy as long as I have the
minimum oppurtunity.

> For whatever reasons, the Indian industry has not
been exposed to
> international competition and also many of our
entrepreneurs and even
> established industrialists may not have the
resources to battle with the
> best of the world. But we should not just open the
flood gates fully
> knowing
> that many of them will die. If you read history
every industrialised nation

IMHO, if indian businesses get killed, it is a good 
thing. One arm of the politician-criminal-businessman
nexus will be wiped out. Those indians who have talent
alone need to survive. If Creative Technologies from
puny singapore can compete on the world stage, i do not
see why indians cannot do the same. The present set
of businessmen deserve to perish. I have no sympathies.
My sympathies lie with the crores of indians, not with 
a few thousand businessmen. These businessmen have
been hoodwinking us. eg: Chetak scooter was advertised 
as the scooter which was exported but right from the 
quality of paint to efficiency of engine, it was worse
than what they exported to gulf. I do not want to go
into specifics but you get the idea. If I want I can
give you 100s of examples. Let them perish! 
Pepsi's food processing industry has spawned 40000
jobs. Their potato chips factory punjab has helped
farmers. That is what counts. I do not care who owns
the factory. That is false pride.

-Arvind



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