Re: Take Back Your Time Day

G*rd*n wrote:

> > G*rd*n wrote:

> > > Either median infant mortality dropped during the rise of
> > > capitalism, or it didn't.  If it did, then capitalism fans
> > > can argue that that was due to the rise of capitalism.  A
> > > quick end to the argument would be to show that infant 
> > > mortality remained the same or increased.

> "chris.holt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
> > Wouldn't it also be a quick end to the argument to show that
> > infant mortality dropped during the rise of socialism?  If
> > it drops in both cases, that suggests that it was caused by
> > factors other than economic/political systems, e.g.
> > scientific and technological advances; and we know that
> > these aren't directly related to economics or politics.

> Socialism and capitalism, as they have usually been actually
> proposed and realized, are hardly opposites.

No, but the synthesis we see around us does vary in proportions.
Two teaspoons of one, one teaspoon of the other.  The point
is that infant mortality used to go down in either case, suggesting
that the cause lies elsewhere.

Now, life expectancy is supposedly decreasing because of
obesity (and presumably, tobacco companies having taken
a more subtle strategy in getting people addicted).  That
might be seen as an argument against capitalism, though
given the numbers of people smoking in China, I doubt it.

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[EMAIL PROTECTED]           http://homepages.cs.ncl.ac.uk/chris.holt