Atmosphere Economic Plan Draws Criticism (FPI)

[Tommy the Terrorist]

May 1, 2048 (Jerry Banks DF9ZFL6C, Falwell Press International DF3KXF29A)
- A little-publicized UN Environmental Regulation Agency plan for
privatization rights has recently drawn widespread criticism in several
African jurisdictions, from citizens who say they simply cannot afford
the prices that have been set and who have staged terrorist actions
demanding an end to enforcement of their financial liabilities.
The plan, which rationalizes the regulation of atmospheric pollutants,
works by designating the known classes of pollutants, such as carbon
dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur dioxide, and carbon particulates.
It allotted "emission rights" according to the maximum sustainable
environmental load designated by the UNEPA, in an auction held in January
2045. The trouble came when Aircorp International DF7KAL55N, winner of
the carbon dioxide franchise, initiated an unusual marketing scheme with
a wide range of prices for different emission classes.
"Pricing of a resource is a matter of supply and demand", John Brand
DF7ERZ2A, media liason for the company, explains. "The demand curve for
the burning of gasoline differs from that for the burning of fuel oil, or
for maintenance of livestock, and is least elastic for personal use. We
faced very stiff competition to make this purchase, and expended hundreds
of billions of undollars on which we are still paying interest. We have
an obligation to recover this money with smart, market-sensitive pricing."
He hastens to add that the per capita pricing plan, which uses weight
data collected yearly by regional jurisdictions for determination of
individual health maintenance tax rates on fat and sugar content in
foods, is really a very small amount of money. "For the average American
it's no more than a few hours' salary", he says. "Since the liability is
incurred without direct negotiation, we have an arrangement with most
Northern jurisdictions to have it deducted directly from the individual's
registered bank account". Citizens of these jurisdictions are protected
from most forms of utility shutoffs even if they cannot pay, provided
that they enter a monitored financial rehabilitation plan.
However, the situation is different in former Ethiopia, says one
source who was willing to be interviewed under condition of anonymity
(escrow file DF9ZFL6C-1154). In Ethiopia, government-registered accounts
often remain empty, while barter and even commerce in the banned
Afrodollar are widely tolerated by the police. "So it came as a shock to
us", he says, "when we found liabilities of over 100 undollars in our
names, with a requirement to pay by April 15 or face 'disconnection.'"
For small cattle ranchers, still a substantial portion of the Ethiopian
population, liabilities ranging in the thousands and tens of thousands of
undollars were not uncommon, "and the cattle were already spoken for".
Despite free trade reforms and a vigorous international lending and
investment program, wages in rural Ethiopia still rarely exceed 5,000
undollars per capita, and are often much lower.
The result, according to the Ethiopian Economic Coordinator's Office,
has been a series of punitive 'disconnections', usually with pillowcases
and plastic bags, done by local enforcement agents contracted by Aircorp
DF7KAL55N. Within the past 15 days, over 300 such 'disconnections' have
occurred. More disturbingly, over 50 separate incidents of violent crime
have been reported in connection with persons objecting to the policy.
While the EECO remains committed to providing a stable business climate,
their report stresses that they need stronger, smarter enforcement
measures to avoid further trouble.
"The Ethopian response almost borders on extortion", protests Jeff
Grennburg DF6UIO5E, a representative of the American Neo-Libertarian
Alliance DF6KEZ11X, who calls for a boycott of Ethiopian goods if they
refuse to honor the rights of the American DF7KAL55N. "It's the
responsibility of the national government to maintain economic order
without trying to wheedle money and high-tech enforcement equipment out
of the UN as a way of expressing their distaste for valid corporate
economic rights." Since failure of a national jurisdiction to maintain
economic rights automatically triggers UN sanctions, they simply don't
have any room to bargain, Grennburg explains. "While our party places a
strong emphasis on individualism, individual rights include the right to
succeed or fail based on one's own merits. If a person cannot afford to
eat, it has never been an excuse for theft; the same is true for
breathing. We've always recognized that land and water were partionable
economic commodities - the inclusion of air is just the result of better
technology for accounting".
Further, he maintains that Aircorp DF7KAL55N is the real victim here.
"Under the terms of the UNERA auctions, the purchasers are subject to a
burdensome series of regulations enacted by the global legislature."
Among these, he cites the requirement that DF7KAL55N be ready to do
business with anyone, without discrimination, which he cites as a serious
infringment of the corporation's business position. "If Aircorp were
allowed to charge different rates to different people", he says, "then
this situation would never have happened! Instead, they would charge
higher rates in the U.S. and lower rates in Ethiopia, and no one would
have trouble paying." While the possibility of arbitrary refusals would
seem worrisome, he argues that they would have no motive to engage in
such micro-manipulation, and that if it were a serious concern, another
company might have solicited donations toward a higher bid under
conditions that they refuse to engage in such practices.
The EECO responds that they will make every effort to see that
collection of funds, or termination for lack of payment, continues to be
fully enforced in accordance with international free trade standards.
"However," noted one EECO clerk who neglected to identify himself [acting
in official capacity and hence exempt from U. S. C. 20786.5.2] "it is
simply impossible for Ethiopians to afford the sort of advanced
electronic monitoring and reinforcement techniques used for financial
rehabilitation in your country. The value of their labor is simply not
enough to repay the cost of the operation and equipment." He argues that
if Ethiopia could succeed in its bid to obtain emergency low-interest
financial assistance from the UNMF, that the plan could dramatically
increase Ethiopia's productivity and stability. "It would cost a hundred
billion undollars, but it would still be worth it to bring this country
into the 21st century. Right now, Ethiopia is barely fulfilling its most
basic requirements, despite all our efforts, because no matter how severe
the penalties for non-payment may be, we simply don't have the leverage
necessary to get some people to work!" Citing the habit-reinforcement
and sleep-suppressing capabilities of the chips, he claims that persons
bankrupted, including by Aircorp DF7KAL55N, could repay their debts on a
short schedule and provide superior labor for national infrastructure
projects, which would then, presumably, increase the value of Ethiopian
commodities and labor until financial rehabilitation could be made
profitable.
Whether such a "big government" approach can work, or if the
Neo-Libertarian policy is still the best answer, will be a question for
the UN Legislature to ponder in the coming session.

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[t...@world.std.com]

Tommy the Terrorist <may...@super.zippo.com> writes:
> May 1, 2048 (Jerry Banks DF9ZFL6C, Falwell Press International DF3KXF29A)
> - A little-publicized UN Environmental Regulation Agency plan for

Innit a bit late for April Fool's Day? }:)

You touched on so many issues that I'm not sure what serious discussion
you were trying to start, if any. Care to make your point directly?

Just so that my post is not entirely without ideas, while writing the
above paragraph it occured to me that if might be useful if there were a
sort of geek code for the sort of cerebropolitical issues you touched
on. (Cerebropolitical == political ideas on a cerebral level, w/o any
Realpolitik)

Cerebropolitical Geek Code, first draft:

Emission rights
ER+++: Emission rights is the greatest thing since the
industrial revolution.
ER++: Why haven't we done this everywhere already?
ER+: I think it's an interesting idea in theory.
ER: I know what emission rights is about.
ER-: I don't like the idea of emission rights.
ER--: Heavens, sell people the right to *pollute*?!?

UN:
UN+++: All nations coming together in peace...what a beautiful
idea. (swoon)
UN++: The UN: our last, best hope for peace.
UN+: The UN does a lot of good
UN: No opinion
UN-: The UN is on the wrong track.
UN--: The UN is a joke.
UN---: Nuke the UN (Somehow)

Cryptanarchy:

CA++: It will happen and I'll be ready!
CA+: Good idea... er, someday not too soon.
CA: I know what Cryptanarchy means.
CA-: What an awful idea.
CA--: We should round those terrorists up.

For instance, my Cerebropolitical Geek Code would read: ER++, UN--, CA+

I hope this inspires somebody else to do a better version. I swore to
myself I would never again put myself in the position of driving a
project that I couldn't finish, so I don't want anyone to think I'm
going to maintain this.

Tom

--
After 1 July 1998 Washington state law levies a $500 fine for sending
e-mail to this address which conceals its point of origin or has a
misleading subject line. The sender must determine recipient location.

[Paul Dietz]

t...@world.std.com wrote:
> (Cerebropolitical == political ideas on a cerebral level, w/o any
> Realpolitik)

Say, is that anything like "cogno-intellectual"?

Paul