Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/07

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Subject: [Leica] Re: What, me worry?
From: "Roger Beamon" <roger@beamon.org>
Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 07:33:53 -0700
References: <39DDFBB5.30498.21C5273@localhost>

On 7 Oct 2000, Henning J. Wulff wrote, at least in part:

> Capitalism often gets confused with democracy. Intrinsically, they
> have nothing to do with each other. A corporate oligarchy, which
> is what we are moving toward and what this concentration of media
> content is a sign of, is not interested in maintaining an informed
> and thinking citizenry. A corporate oligarchy also does not
> necessarily coexist peacefully with 'free enterprise', even though
> that may have given the corporations their initial chance.
> 
> 'Nothing is forever', but a lot of it hung around too damn long.
> Today, Milosevic comes readily to mind.
> 
> Count me firmly in the camp of Donal and Adrian.

Intrinsically, yes, but how often does free enterprise (I prefer 
that over capitalism), in fairly pure form, flourish in other than 
democracies or democratic republics like ours?

As long as we have pretty good free enterprise, I don't worry 
because the corporate oligarchies form and dominate. The 
competitive vacuum that exists when the corporate oligarchies 
prevail *will* be filled at some future time. The trick is to not let 
the government become an oligarchy! 

Who would have thought that such a corporate oligarchy as IBM 
could have been changed and reduced competitively in such a 
short time? Business *will* be done competively in free 
enterprise.

The only reasonably on topic aspect of this thread is that, 
unfortunately, working pros that we know such as Donal, 
Harrison, Adrian and others are the ones who get hurt in the 
short run. Their lifespans may not be long enough to see the 
reduction of the agencies' domination. I believe that the 
incentives are still strong enough in the U.S. for the system to 
continue to work. Remember, the public may soon tire of the 
photographic pap produced by a generation of 'point and shoot' 
photographers doing the will of the agglomerated agencies, and, 
with the demand for better, the incentive is created. 

If the photographic pap prevails because of a citizenry too 
numbed to appreciate better, then the numbed citizenry has 
prevailed. Life's a bitch!

Ok, shields up and I'm ready to hear about how proactive 
legislation will assure the continued existence of the competitive 
agencies as they are now or were.


- --
Roger, List-Owner
The LEG (Leica Enthusiasts Mailing List)
http://www.topica.com/lists/leica

In reply to: Message from "Roger Beamon" <roger@beamon.org> ([Leica] Re: What, me worry?)