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Show Correctionary How to avoid word murder. » This week's word: Free Market of freedom plays into it - only freedom from the government, Milton Friedman as in unregulated once said that a lack of economic activity. belief in freedom itself This is fine and is what supports most well (actually arguments against it's ft horrible, free market but V we're economics. It DAVID SELF NEWLIN Opinions editor ( • • - - could also be said that most uses of the term "free market" rely on a fallacious understanding of freedom, even by those who do believe in it, especially burgeoning N students and future capitalists who equate the technical understanding of "free" in free market with the many other ways in which freedom can be understood. In short, most everyone gets it wrong when they make an argument about free markets. A free market is one in which the players in the market are free from intervention by the government. That's really it. No other substantial sense • moment the fact that no market is even remotely free in the free market sense, the idea is like calling a prisoner free because they ^^ are freed from annoyance by about their nagdefinitions for now), but the problem ging mother or oppressive is when people then associate the term with father - in a limited sense they a robust idea of libare free from a kind of erty. Something like, "Having free markets intervention, but then again, they are bound is required to be free by another much more and make your way important one. in the world." Freedom is being used in The same thing can two different ways in be said of supposed claims like that. One free markets. The means freedom from mega-conglomerates government, the other may be free from the freedom to live as the government, but you like. Even if you then again, competithink these two senses tors, small producers. are related, they aren't and workers aren't the same, and any free from the megarelationship requires -•'- conglomerates, whose more argument than size and power dictate simply pointing out much of what happens that the two words in any given market. sound the same. Think AIG, Wal-Mart, Ignoring for a ExxonMobil; they control market conditions and how freely any other participant can operate. Vice presidents tell managers what to carry in their stores and for how much; managers between an at least vaguely democratic regulation by government and profitoriented undemocratic regulation. Actually there's a third option: radically democ- rely on disbelief in freedom. But then, there just isn't much to believe in the "free market." There's no point believing in the kind of freedom that really isn't. tell their employees how to sell, what to wear and how to act. Further, their success • and failure determines in large part the success and failure of the Average Joe racitizen, as we are novv-r,r~tizing so keenly aware. In the economic other words, there is world as well as =J&: no such thing as ari • 'the political one. But unregulated free mar- that's another discusket - either a governsion. At any rate, ment regulates it or Milton Friedman big business regulates was right: arguments it. The only choice is against the free market Illustration by DAVID MOORE Letters to the editor Dear Editor, Dear Editor, Clash of the Tenets JON SCHWARZMANN Opinions writer • I just want to say how much I love UVU. It is a school full of opportunities; great students, and an awesome staff. Where else can you go to college where professors actually know your name and who you are personally? Of course, I am not saying every professor here does this. I have a couple of professors that do not even recognize my face. But to those that do, I want to say how much I, as a student, appreciate it. By knowing our names, it allows us to not just feel like a number on a sheet, but someone whose opinion and grades matter. It helps make school a more* personal experience. I think our world and generation need to get back in^ touch with "personal." As a student I am constantly running around UVU campus, from one class to another. Usually after a couple of weeks I find the most time-efficient paths to follow as I travel. Sometimes these paths take you across grassy lawns. Honestly I know that I'm not the only person on campus who values time and energy, especially your own. Other people discover these paths and use them on a regular basis; I know this because of the tangible proof of trails forming in the grass. UVU, noticing that paths started forming in the grass, put up signs saying to keep off of the grass. This worries me, especially since UVU is not a nature preserve or National Park. If it were, then the founders wouldn't have bulldozed the ground in the first place. Instead of punishing people for being practical and time efficient why don't you use these new formed trails as an indicator for a much needed cement path. After funding a $50 million project to build a new library I don't think that money is the issue here. The school is already 80 percent cement, a little more to make things more practical wouldn't hurt. Don't take me wrong, grass is great and beautiful, but if people are going to stomp it to death anyway, why not take a hint and pave another path? Kasie Hugh Jared Broadbent Letter to the editor requirements • Letters must be turned in on Wednesday by noon in order to be printed in the next edition. • • Please provide an electronic copy regardless of whether or not you wish tosubmit a hard copy. • We make no guarantee that letters will be printed. • All letters become the property of UVU Review as soon as they are submitted. • Letters 300 words or less have a greater chance of being published - anything longer will be edited for content. , • Anonymous letters are only publishable when the safety or professional status of the letter writer is in jeopardy. • >A ' • It's fairly hard to ignore the fact we live among a highly concentrated population of LDS members. Yet even though there is percentage of a high fol- • f school, one does not have to strain to find the perspective of the non-LDS community. They tend to speak a little louder to have their voices heard above the cacophony of conservative thought, most obviously when their ideas are in opposition to the standard beliefs.Thequestion is, how does each side address the other at our school? Considering this state's history, the university' s founders, the existence of a church institute on campus, it should be no surprise to anyone that the generally conservative nature of the people here has the local universities following .suit. So when students speak out looking for change, especially in ways that won't affect Sunday worship, why is there such an outrage from the LDS community? It \ can't be that bad to think that there are others in this state that want to live life differently. It is refreshing to know that there is still diversity in a historically uniform state. But a very un-refreshing facet rears its head on occasion when the against-the-grain camp feels it necessary to speak ill of another's beliefs. This is done on both sides, but far too often when these non-conservative ideas or thoughts are brought up, a need seems to arise to criticize the various ways that the LDS belief system is impinging on it. Will those criticized really take such immaturity seriously? Perhaps treating the grain with a little more respect might gain more credibility. When does the need arise to treat someone with a different belief system with anything but dignity? Can't we all just get along? If you're one who holds to the idea that you give out what you get and you're not getting any respect, then nothing is going to change. Perhaps you want an olive branch from the other side first; what if they are thinking the same thing? You'll both be waiting longer than you need to. Perhaps you're the rare person that feels no need to give out respect and decency in any manner, and there's no reason you should change in the slightest. Good luck to you. You'll need it. The greatest form of change is brought about when those in opposition come together, not to settle their differences or change how they think, but to live as harmoniously as possible despite their differences. The first way we can make our campus and community a little better is by addressing those on the other side of the fence with a little bit more respect. |