I realize this is politicizing a great moment of joy, but it dovetails nicely with my previous post. The rescue of the Chilean miners was about as good as it gets when dealing with tragedy. The mine in Chile was a government owned and run. The suppliers of the rescue equipment and expertise were private companies and individuals. Precisely because these rescuers focused their attention on such skills their whole working career, they were able to develop the intricate tools needed for this amazing rescue. This is the result of the division of labour and market based capitalism rewarding innovation. For details please follow this link.
The best line from the editorial is from the Chilean Health Minister who said that he did not even know about copper-lined socks that kill bacteria on feet. Exactly Mr Minister! Innovation is the product of the mind and cannot be centrally planned, likewise it should not be controlled save for the moral and ethical values that most societies adhere to. Each of the products used in the rescue were ideas that people believed would benefit society, so they were developed and brought to the marketplace. Each community has unique needs and unique people filling those needs. Free trade simply allows communities to talk with one another to see if what they have will benefit another community. Chile was a microcosm of this reality.
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