Who decides? ( was Re: Risks of IVF, implications for cloning?)

From: Brett Paatsch (paatschb@ocean.com.au)
Date: Thu Jan 16 2003 - 22:04:19 MST


Lee Corbin writes:

> the whole point of Sowell's "Knowledge and Decisions", which
> I've had to consult lately, is that deciding the *level* at which
> different decisions occur is crucial to society's well-being.

This is a good general point Lee (hence my forking the thread).

> Why not leave all these decisions to the people most closely
> affected? They have the knowledge of their particular situations
> aspirations! Is it because we feel that they may make a mistake?

I wonder if it is even a practical or useful question to ask
"why not leave all these decisions to the people most closely
 affected?"

Who actually has the power now, in your view, to *actually*
decide who gets to make these decisions in society?

Do you think that legislators decide - note that tend to vote
bills into laws in bunches not simply on their lonesome ?

Do you think that citizens in democracies decide and if so
how? Merely through voting or are other avenues open?

Do you think that politcal activists or the media or media owners
decide?

Where, in your view, in the contemporary world, does the power
to decide "who decides" actually reside?

You might pick just the US to simplify if you want.

Brett



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