From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Fri Jan 17 2003 - 20:01:38 MST
Brett 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?
>...
> Who actually has the power now ... to *actually*
> decide who gets to make these decisions in society?
That's a deep question. My suggested answer is that we all
decide, both individually and collectively.
> 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?
Yes, yes, and yes. The legislators have the most
immediate and direct influence, but the voters
elect the legislators. Yet the voters are affected
by memes, including yours and mine. So we all
participate in deciding at what level decisions
should be made.
Constitutions exist to record and embody principles
known to be wise, and for the most part these principles
provide that many decisions be left up to smaller
bodies at lower levels. The ultimate freedoms, speech,
right to bear arms, right to trial by jury, and so on,
are in these instruments reserved for those at the lowest
levels, the individuals.
So in this way, the hands of the legislators are presumably
tied. So, in summary, we would have to add to your list
legislators and representatives
voters and electors
* ideas and memes
* constitutional guarantees
> Do you think that political activists or the media or
> media owners decide?
For the most part, these decide just as individuals do,
and are subject to the same influences. To be sure,
cults within the media have undue influence, but in
free countries there are alternative sources of news
and commentary.
Lee
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