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Freedom of Choice Is What Sets Capitalism Apart – Not Competition
- eesmith 8y agoSo, I see "choice" through the lens of "school choice". An argument for charter schools is that parents should have a "choice" about where to send their kids. Instead of a government-run school, let multiple schools exist, so they can compete to provide the best services - because capitalism. This page argues "Capitalism is a system of voluntary exchange, predicated upon the right to own property." Where is the property ownership in a charter school which rents its space from the government? None that I know of. Does this mean that we must reject any attempts to associate "school choice" with any benefits of "capitalism"? I happen to believe the argument for school choice focuses on the wrong sort of "choice". A large school can provide many choices. I can do shop classes, and be in the chorus, and take home economics, and AP calculus. In my junior year I can decide that I would rather not go to college and switch to a vocational education track. While if there are many schools - which are required to provide a 'choice' of school - I no longer have the 'choice' to change my direction part-way through without changing schools. So "choice" is a multi-dimensional concept. The essay argues "Market Competition Brings Choice Out of Scarcity". Which type of choice does it bring out for secondary education? Which choices are eliminated by not taking advantage of an economy of scale?
- cimmanom 8y agoYet what freedom of choice is there without competition?