tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post1797719373654091319..comments2024-03-28T09:22:36.967+13:00Comments on Offsetting Behaviour: Black marketsEric Cramptonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-60301487005874416052010-12-20T04:36:34.894+13:002010-12-20T04:36:34.894+13:00@Hristos
I think the moral dimension cuts in favo...@Hristos<br /><br />I think the moral dimension cuts in favor of organ markets: Yes, trade in organs is repugnant. But the alternative (organ harvesting) is much, much worse.<br /><br />Of course, people don't like facing difficult tradeoffs.Michael Wiebehttp://analyticalanarchism.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-8844033167346473562010-12-19T15:30:12.934+13:002010-12-19T15:30:12.934+13:00@Michael, Horace, yes.
@Hristos: Roth's work ...@Michael, Horace, yes.<br /><br />@Hristos: Roth's work on repugnant markets is instructive. But we've gotten over other highly inefficient beliefs before: we used to think life insurance was repugnant as a way of betting on death. The more we can do to point out the efficiency costs of holding a belief that trade should be banned as repugnant, the better the chances of getting the change in policy that saves lives.<br /><br />Hit the "organ markets" tab above...Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-53340671470731574402010-12-19T12:56:28.315+13:002010-12-19T12:56:28.315+13:00There is a 'moral' dimension here that can...There is a 'moral' dimension here that cant be ignored. The concept of a trade - legal or illegal - in organs is perceived by many to be immoral. Yeah, ok, what the KLA might have done is clearly also immoral, but I doubt that voters will agree to allow businesses in organs. They see this as a problem that arises during conflict, or in third world countries, not in civilised Western style developed democracies.<br /><br />People seem more willing to accept technological solutions, than trade based ones.<br /><br />Just saying is all<br /><br />HristosAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-19363699469173782912010-12-19T11:25:38.675+13:002010-12-19T11:25:38.675+13:00Economics is so counter intuitive that most people...Economics is so counter intuitive that most people just can't get their heads around the concept of making something like this legal...Horace the Grumpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-60920090557122878262010-12-19T06:10:54.360+13:002010-12-19T06:10:54.360+13:00"And I'll guess that a majority of folks ..."And I'll guess that a majority of folks reading the story would see it as a reason not to allow trade in organs rather than one of the reasons we really ought to consider it."<br /><br />Exactly. I'm always baffled when people object to organ markets with the "criminals would murder people and harvest their organs" line, because this is precisely the argument <i>for</i> legal trade in organs. <br /><br />It is only under prohibition that the price of organs is high enough that criminals are willing to risk the costs of organ harvesting. If there was a legitimate market, supply goes up, price goes down, and criminal organ harvesting would be wiped out because it would no longer be profitable.Michael Wiebehttp://analyticalanarchism.netnoreply@blogger.com