gh (02/21/83)
Thanks to Mark Terribile for discussing the issue seriously. I disagree
with his conclusions, but don't wish to debate them at length in this forum,
preferring instead to agree to disagree. I just want to make two brief points:
-- Mark seems to think that having the fruits of one's labor used for the
benefit of others would be inherently unsatisfying. But in a nice,
friendly society in which wealth was nicely distributed, people could
well be very happy with the system, and happy to help their fellow
citizens who mightn't be able to produce as much.
-- Mark's caution about "beware of alleged Utopias" is well taken, but
unlessone seriously believes that this is The Best of All Possible Worlds,
then we have to think about, discuss, and perhaps even *try* the
alternatives.
Graeme Hirst, Brown University CS
decvax!brunix!gh gh.brown@udel-relay