On 08/19/2010 06:24 PM, J.A. Simmons V wrote: > We first will have to fix a few of your initial assumptions. > > The construct is not all knowning, does make mistakes but can be self > correcting. It cannot be smarter then anything since it is not an actual > entity capable of thinking. I will agree that it can't be smelled, > touched, or heard, but neither can the concept of numbers. There are > those that have trust and those that do not have trust in the > construct. I will agree that it can start wars, just like it can spark > exploration, drive the founding of a new colony that will then become > the seed for a great superpower. More over, I will add that this > concept is the closest thing to freedom that any known economic system > can provide. > While your presentation is true, so is Robert's. Many people have faith in "The Free Market" at the level of religious fervor. The ideal of a free market held up by these people is quite mythical, having never existed and having no proof that it ever could exist beyond the most trivial case. On the other hand, well regulated markets have been proven to be better at asset allocation than any centrally managed economy to date, simply because the failings of human nature tend to cause more problems the more concentrated any sort of power becomes. > > > On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 17:25, Robert Nesius <nesius at gmail.com > <mailto:nesius at gmail.com>> wrote: > > > I'm thinking of a construct that is all knowing, never wrong, and > smarter than the human beings who arguably created it. I'm thinking > of something that can't be seen, smelled, touched, or heard. I'm > thinking of something that people believe exists with all of their > hearts. I'm thinking of something that many people argue does not > exist. I'm thinking of something that has the power to save us all, > or condemn us to eternal strife. I'm thinking of something that is > used as a basis to start wars. I'm thinking of something that is > worshiped on a daily basis. >