Scott Weiser wrote:

The free market is always the most efficient way for such things to be
"regulated."

--
That is a popular saying, but it is meaningless. The truth is we do
not know.

Systems that self correct typically employ some form of feedback. When
the system is outside of the optimal setting, the difference from that
set point moves the system back toward that setpoint.

The problem with physical systems is that they exhibit inertia and this
complicates the response. The inertia of the system makes them slow to
respond. The lack of change in the output causes a greater correcting
force than is needed, resulting in overshoot and then undershoot.

Well modeled systems, (which free enterprise or any other economic
system are not), can be tuned for "good responses". But only if the
characteristics of the system are understood. For complex physical
systems like the Earth, we are only beginning to create the simpliest
of models. In climatic systems with time delays on the order of decades
or centuries, we may not ever see the results of our own corrective
forces, most of which are subject to political whim.

In social systems, we need to worry about the effects of time delay and
overshoot because they affect people. These system may ultimately
converge on the best solution, but the overshoot creates the forces of
political change (revolution, genocide) as well as physical change
(climate, famine).

Large scale systems are not the realm of the layman, nor political
administrations prone to dismissing views not in league with their
agendas as "Fuzzy Science". There is no avenue in today's broadcast
buzz word society for serious answers to serious questions. Audiences
are too tuned to receiving hollow platitudes in support of their
beliefs. Our attention spans are too short.

Paraphrasing Richard Feynman's response to a reporter who asked him
what he did to get the Nobel Prize: "Hey buddy, if I could explain it
to you in 3 minutes, it wouldn't be worth a Nobel Prize now would it?"

Only when Science is free to operate outside of political reach will we
even have a chance at gaining the understanding we need to live in
harmony with the world. Or, as some would say, save it.

Blakely

Blakely LaCroix
r.b.p clique member #86.
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
USA

"The best adventure is yet to come"