Re: open source policy across the globe

>>>>> "Bernard" == Bernard Lang <[email protected]> writes:

    Bernard> On Thu, Mar 04, 2004 at 04:11:59PM +0900, Stephen
    Bernard> J. Turnbull wrote:

    >> >>>>> "Bernard" == Bernard Lang <[email protected]> writes:

    Bernard> or : the cost of killing local jobs and having to
    Bernard> compensate in some other ways

    >> This isn't a cost, it's a benefit.

    Bernard> I understand that killing jobs is a benefit (unless the
    Bernard> job is fulfilling for the people)

Jobs are about the benefits you provide for other people, not about
the pleasure you get from them.  If you have a job because somebody
else is prohibited from offering the product at a lower cost, you're
not on salary, you're on welfare.

    Bernard> but you nevertheless have to provide people with a living

Yes, I do.  Tax me, please, so I can see how much I'm paying.

    Bernard> ... and there may not be other jobs, not immediately, or
    Bernard> not with a training cost, or not with other forms of
    Bernard> investment.

Yeah, but the measure implied by protecting the jobs you're talking
about means taking jobs away from others, who presumably need them
more because they're willing to accept less compensation.  If they
don't need them more, then the lower cost implies spectacularly higher
productivity.

    >> "Protect people, not 'jobs'."

    Bernard>     you're a communist ?

No.  A humanist libertarian.  I'd rather educate the unemployed than
subsidize their wage, I'd rather subsidize wages than directly
transfer income, but if it comes to that, I would accept an increase
in my taxes for welfare before an increase in prices.

Prices (including wages) should reflect value given and received, not
artificial restrictions on transactions.

Why does that need saying on a list dedicated to free software?


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