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Politics : View from the Center and Left
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To: Lane3 who wrote (90613)10/18/2008 12:42:58 PM
From: cnyndwllr  Read Replies (1) of 541647
 
"That's about fairness? Coulda fooled me. Taking turns is about fairness, the rest is something else."

If you have a small child and an adult taking turns at work or play can you imagine many scenarios where taking turns could be unfair?

Fairness is much too complex for resolution by applying a simple mathematical formula. It is about what SHOULD be in terms of balancing competing interests and it is critical for successful communal living.

Your assertion that fairness is not a useful metric because its impossible to get "consensus on what is fair," is puzzling.

Society makes fairness judgements in every aspect of our lives. From crime and punishment, to anti discrimination housing laws, to first come-first served ice cream parlors, to one man one vote, to the implementation of a military draft, to handicapping golf games...the fabric of our society is so woven with our views of what is fair and what is not that we often simply take it for granted.

And the fact that some people will disagree and cry "not fair" is fine. If they're right then they may well convince enough of us to change the rules, if they're wrong then we'll keep on doing what we're doing and simply label them as bad losers. The key is whether the society is healthy. Societies with fair and efficient rules stay healthy, those with unfair or inefficient rules get sick.

That's how important fairness is. Ed
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