Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.96L.971122112836.29921E-100000@nbc.ksu.ksu.edu> Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 11:38:13 -0600 From: kerry <mailto:astingsh@KSU.EDU> Subject: Re: MAI (Was: letter to Gore-AS To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Tom, > Actually it is quite unrealistic to expect legislatures to negotiate
> international trade agreements. A legislature is composed of a
> large number of people (~550 for the USA), each with a local agenda
> related to that representative's state, province, or district. A
> small group is needed who represent the largest number of people
> possible (countries and trade blocks today, the world someday?) so
> the number of interest groups with competing demands is minimized.
>
Actually it is quite unrealistic to expect legislatures to negotiate anything at all! Look at the rubbish which gets into the various bills that are passed because our honorable reps don't even ttry to read all the text.
The philosophical issue is whether we accept the 'small group' that *says it will work out the best compromise among competing demands, or whether we work towards a system that encourages those who are interested to get involved in making their own compromises. Self-interest doesn't necessarily mean pigheadedness; negotiation doesn't necessarily mean 'whatever is done by bureaucratized negotiators.'
We sit here in the midst of the most powerful contrivance for multi-party discussion yet developed, and all we can think is how to centralize the decision process! It's absurd on the face of it.
kerry