Cafe Hayek - Latest Comments in Vonnegut on "Equality"

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

oyunlar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 07:45:33 -0000

Good blog

I hope everybody read this article.

thanks for informations.

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Ed Lopez — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:12:05 -0000

I elaborate on my above remarks here: http://divisionoflabour.com...

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Rex Pjesky — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:26:32 -0000

I should have said "...that many more people claim to like him that really do)

I also should have spelled "third" correctly.

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Rex Pjesky — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:23:27 -0000

Follow up: Could his popularity (given Ray G's hypothesis that many people claim to like him that really do) be a case of a thrid degree network externality?

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Rex Pjesky — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:22:05 -0000

Ray G, I agree. I really don't know why he is famous. Of course, this short story is very insightful.

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Ray G — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:05:03 -0000

In my youth, Vonnegut was one of those writers whom I felt that I "had" to read in order to qualify as well read.

But of course his writing would just drag, and I never got very far in any of his work.

Personally I liken his work to pop music. Very few people really like it all that much. Thus, a majority of Vonnegut sold sits pretentiously undisturbed on so many book shelves.

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Dr.Dean — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:04:42 -0000

Equality is not the same as equality. There are democratic forms of equality. Strict forms. Moderate forms. And so on.

And there is strict inequality and strict injustice - which make real liberalism impossible.

So - the truth is in the middle.

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Ed Lopez — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:32:40 -0000

Vonnegut was an avowed socialist who admired the practical implications of Marxian economics and heavily advocated welfare-state style redistribution. This story is far subtler than a critique of leveling. I believe Vonnegut's intention is to remove a couple arrows from the quivers of redistribution's critics.

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Storey — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:17:14 -0000

So it goes.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Steve Horwitz — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 07:45:50 -0000

And, of course, there is Rush's "The Trees" which picks up the same theme:

http://www.lyricscafe.com/r...

Re: Vonnegut on "Equality"

Chris O'Leary — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 07:02:26 -0000

This is one of my favorite short stories ever. Thanks for posting it.