Information and its Children

 

                                              Information and its Children

"Intentions are not results. And, as Hayek argued, justice is an attribute of individual choices and relationships rather than something that society does or doesn’t collectively arrange and dispense.

As commonly used, the term “social justice,” with its lovely connotations and valence, is the name of the whole mix of social outcomes that those who use this term desire. And those who use this term invariably believe that their desired outcomes must be imposed with conscious direction by the state.

Are some workers paid less than social-justice advocates believe these workers deserve? Raise the minimum wage! Are some workers without paid leave? Have government arrange for such leave! Are some people poor? Redistribute income! Is income or wealth inequality too great? Redistribute income! Do some workers lose their jobs because fellow citizens choose to buy imports? Raise tariffs! Are some people unemployed? Have government guarantee employment! Are some people deeply in debt? Have government pay off these debts or simply declare the debts forgiven! Are some corporations currently quite large relative to other companies or relative to what someone’s imagination regards as ideal? Break them up or impose more proscriptions and prescriptions upon their activities! Do some people abuse drugs? Make such drugs illegal!"--Bordeaux

The appeal to the casual observer is that these reactions seem so direct, so "on point." But what they are is simplistic, not direct or "simple." Hayek's argument with progressivism was not with its intent, it was with its assumption of knowledge and the knowledgeable control that implied.