Sunday, February 2, 2014

On Central Planners

These folks simply don't have access to all of the relevant information, and the knowledge that's necessary is just way too dispersed for these paper-pushers to make any sort of rational calculation (Spain and its green energy initiative, for example - an unmitigated disaster). That, and there isn't any sort of strong feedback mechanism that would alert them to change course. I mean, I know that leftists hate the word, profit, and all but it does in fact serve an actual purpose in a free market economy.

5 comments:

dmarks said...

Here are the poster children of central planning...

dmarks said...

"I know that leftists hate the word, profit"

Leftists seem to have no problem with profit as long as it is made by the rulers, those in government, and their legions in the nomenclatura... as the direct result of forcible appropriation under threat of violence ("might makes right").

They just hate the idea of profit being made through hard work and honest exchange.

(And yes, I know there are incidents of forcible appropriation, etc in the private sector... remembering BB's very old link to the account of outrageous violence against mine strikers. But these instances are very rare, while the violence and the threat of violence from those who rule are constant).

BB-Idaho said...

We may suppose 'central planning' is as good as its input. It has wrecked Radio Shack, to quote one of their managers:
"Mr Day touted in the conference call of controlled inventory. What they are doing in following central planning of the Soviet modelin which USSr meanns United Soviet Socialis of RadioShack. We lose many customers because the failed model of cental planning does nor allow field managers to order. Our pay is so low, we have not received a raise in 20 years"
I noticed that at Radio Shack several years ago. Needing a couple of dozen toggle switches,
I bought the 2 hanging in blister packs and asked if I could 'special order' a couple dozen. "No. Our central inventory
takes care of our stock. We will
have 3 switches in next month. You will have to come back every
month for 2 years to get your switches". Haven't been back since. Heck, one time I was looking at school mucilage as a binder in explosives. If it worked, I would need a source, so called the corporation. "Will I be able to purchase produce in
55 gallon drums?" "No, we only sell it in 2 oz. tubes".."but, we can cut a deal on 2 oz. tubes by the truck". "How do you get it into 2 oz. bottles" "We have a modern assembly line which feeds from a 55 gallon drum". So
dumb central planning is not confined to guv. The argument,
IMO, is that we pay taxes and expect efficiency, with business,
we can take it elsewhere.

dmarks said...

BB: Radio Shack's policy of giving a person the third degree (lengthy personal information questionnaire) as a requirement even if you are paying cash for one battery is one thing that kept me out of there much of the time.

dmarks said...

Now, BB, seeing what you said about Radio Shack makes me wonder why you support "single payer" healthcare.

Imagine a situation where you had to deal with crap like at Radio Shack that you describe, and it was illegal for you to "take your business elsewhere", and everyone was forced to put up with "dumb central planning"

Why do we need this model for healthcare?