Article

2004-06-14 Terror Networks

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Posted by .com 2004-06-14 17:30|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Good analysis but he gets the terminology wrong. Wretchard is describing what economists call the Free Rider problem and not the tradegy of the commons which is something different.

Posted by Phil B 2004-06-14 5:53:55 PM|| 2004-06-14 5:53:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 You don't see quite a bit of overlap between your posted link and Wetchard's? Really? I'm not being argumentative, but the subtle differences do not seem to outweigh the similarities - certainly, IMHO, in practice. Perhaps you should duke it out with Wretchard, if you believe the case you posted. This is not an area in which I have special knowledge - I'm only a layman reading the passages and perhaps this is why you lost me.

Posted by .com 2004-06-14 6:08:55 PM|| 2004-06-14 6:08:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 .com, the free rider problem and the tradegy of the commons are similar, but economists see fit to differentiate them. The tradegy of the commons refers to an end state where the resource (or goods) is significantly degraded in value to the detriment of all. The classic example is unrestricted overgrazing of common land. There is no implication of this in Wretchard's piece, and what he describes is where the US with others are providing a good (security of oil supply) which others benefit from without paying for. This is free-riding.

I wasn't disagreeing with him, just pointing out he got the terminology wrong.

Wretchard doesn't have a comments section and his stuff is often linked from RB. I'm guessing he reads RB.

Posted by Phil B 2004-06-14 6:28:44 PM|| 2004-06-14 6:28:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Okay... I get it. I had to re-read all three - and I see your point.

Okay, terminology aside?

BTW, you can email him - I believe he appreciates it and he actually responds, or did once upon a time. Perhaps now he's become too well known and gets swamped, I can't say. But I have, indeed, received excellent email from him in the past.

Posted by .com 2004-06-14 6:33:25 PM|| 2004-06-14 6:33:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 I'll mail the RB link to him. For while I emailed SDB and had several email discussions with him, but (and I find this quite hard to describe) email is a private medium, and what I have to say is for public consumption. Hence I post it here.

Posted by Phil B 2004-06-14 6:58:14 PM|| 2004-06-14 6:58:14 PM|| Front Page Top

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