Re: Free Markets Decentralized?

Anton Sherwood (dasher@netcom.com)
Wed, 18 Mar 1998 00:44:02 -0700


Yak Wax wrote:
> ... Central does
> not have to mean "control of many by the few" it can be any 'many to
> few' relationship (i.e. control of few by the many.) ...

Centralism, as I understand and use the term, means a regime where a
single decision in the name of the group - whether made by decree or by
universal vote - takes precedence over the decisions of individuals or
smaller groups.

Admittedly the term is not meaningful without a context, namely the
scale in question. All voluntary actions of my body-parts are
controlled by a single entity, so I am "centralist" on a small scale
(bigger than I'd prefer, sigh). Similarly all the actions of the firm
where I work (sixty-odd people) are coordinated by a few partners, so
the firm as seen from inside is centralist. But outside, both I and the
firm interact with many others as peers; this web of activity has no
center.

-- 
"How'd ya like to climb this high without no mountain?" --Porky Pine
Anton Sherwood   *\\*   +1 415 267 0685
!! visiting New Mexico, end of March !!