From: jonathon <grafolog@netcom.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Sep 1996 06:40:05 +0800
To: jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>
Subject: Re: Race Bit: C
In-Reply-To: <199609061750.KAA06787@mail.pacifier.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95.960906183926.28427A-100000@netcom2>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Fri, 6 Sep 1996, jim bell wrote:

> At 05:05 AM 9/6/96 +0000, jonathon wrote:

> used to test out hypotheticals, for example a "SimEconomy."   For example, 

	They are very hard to program, and the ones that do exist are
	based on the usually flawed assumptions that the designers make.
	EG:  taxation is a requirement for government stability

> I, for one, would love to be able to program in an immediate 25%+ reduction 
> computer-based simulation wouldn't just blindly do the cuts, but would also 
> estimate the secondary and tertiary effects of such cuts, for example 

	Those are very hard to figure out in advance.

	Silicon Valley, for one, developed because the government 
	closed several military facilities there.   Other examples
	do exist.   << I think it was CATO that published a paper
	showing that closing military bases caused a short term impact
	in business, but three to five years later, more business, and
	with greater diversification, than had the military base stayed.

	However, such development does not occur, when local government
	authorities do not permit it to happen -- which is the usual 
	state of affairs.  <<  Can a simulation program put cover the
	situation where a government cries out for more development,
	and then prohibits it?  That is exactly what most city governments
	do, and some state governments are starting to do.  >>

> if the average citizen were made aware of how simple the changes were, he'd 
> be less tolerant of special-interest politics.

	The average voter doesn't see any further than the bribe s/he 
	is paid by whichever criminal is trying to inflict his/her 
	mode of destruction on them, come the second tuesday of november.

        xan

        jonathon
        grafolog@netcom.com



	All people in the employ of government agencies are death-dealers.