| | Sarah writes
> Jordan...you seem to be after a solution that works within those circumstances while still adhering to Objectivist principles.
I think Jordan is criticising what are called "...and a pony!" solutions. These are what you come up with when faced with difficult practical problem, and instead of solving it, you just appeal to a wishful scenario to make it go away. For example, "In a truly capitalist society, campaign finance would be no problem because there would be no corrupt political parties..."etc
It's not just younger idealists who mistake wishful thinking for sound arguments. Here's Tibor Machan with a classic "...and a pony!" solution to the difficult problem of funding a government in an Objectivist society:
("Are Societies Owned?" - Tibor Machan, Solo)
"...Of course, in complex, developed, free societies, the citizenry will most likely have instituted a legal order or government, based on the principles of freedom—individual rights to life, liberty and property, for example. And they will probably have instituted some means by which those administering such a system will be paid for their work—user fees, shares of wealth owned, a flat sum, or something more novel and unheard of (e.g., contract fees). Citizens can come together (roughly along the same lines as the original American colonists) and establish a legal order or government that will be empowered, without violating anyone’s rights, to provide for a clear definition, elaboration, and defense of everyone’s rights. Then, once such a group of citizens has come together and instituted a government with just powers—powers that do not violate but protect individual rights—the proper funding of the work of such a government can be spelled out...."
So let's just review what Tibor is actually saying here. That is, in some "complex", truly "free" society of the future, citizens will "most likely" have "elaborated" a "clear definition" of rights, and will "come together" and "probably" create "some means" - perhaps "novel" and "unheard of" - of funding. Problem solved!
The reason this sort of thing is called the "...and a pony!" argument is that if your proposed solution is actually just a series of vague wishes - harmonious future orders, just powers, the spelling out of the yet-unknown etc - then while you're at it, you might as well wish for a pony too!...;-)
- Daniel
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