[PREV - TO_SAIL_BEYOND]    [TOP]

POOR_BEAST

So, I was catching up on my bad Heinlein, diligently
working my way through the stack...

Last on my list was _The Number of the Beast_,
and for good reason.  I knew that this entire
book was centered on the kind of thing I hate
most in the later Heinlein books: "the world
as myth" idea, an arbitrary universe where
anything can happen without rhyme or reason.
       
    But since my       
    expectations       
    weren't very high,      Like, why did Heinlein choose
    I could enjoy           to swap viewpoints between the
    some of it, despite     four main characters when they
    various problems.       all sound alike anyway?
                     

                 And does Heinlein              (There's maybe *one*
                 really believe that            place where this
                 there's no way a               works, where we get a
                 group of four people           clear demonstration of
                 can deal with each             Jake's capacity for
                 other without strict           self-delusion.)
                 military discipline?


But anyway, even in the worst of Heinlein,
you can still find some interesting weird
ideas, like this one (Heinlein is
describing a different version of the
United States, on an alternate earth):
 
      "Taxation is low, simple-- and contains a surprise.
    The Federal government is supported by a head tax paid
    by the States , and is mostly for military and foreign
    affairs.  This state derives most of it's revenue from
    real estate taxes.  It is a uniform rate set annually,
    with no property exempted, not even churches, hospitals,
    or schools-- or roads; the best roads are toll roads.
    The surprise lies in this: _The_owner_appraises_his_own_
    property._"
     "There is a sting in the tail: _Anyone_ can buy
    property _against_the_owner's_wishes_ at the appraisal
    the owner placed on it.  The owner can hang on only by
    raising his appraisal _at_once_ to a figure so high that
    no buyer wants it-- and pay _three_years_back_taxes_ at
    his _new_ appraisal."
                        
                        
                                        (November 23, 2005)
The thing that's
interesting here is the
understanding of using         Another thing that's
market/auction processes       interesting is the
to get people to reveal        recognition that the
information; and to            nature of "markets"      The common
reverse the incentive for      are very much            dichotomy
deception that would           creations of the laws    between
immediately doom almost        that are in play.        "market"
any other form of                                       and "government"
"self-appraisal".                This, in a book        may very well
                                 written around the     be a false
                                 time Heinlein was      one.
                                 happy to decribe
                                 himself as a           NATURALLY_FORCED
                                 "libertarian".

--------
[NEXT - HUGO]