OT - I don't _hate_ McMansions

[Andy Bradford]

Thus said Stuart Jansen on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 07:40:21 MDT:

> I know it's hard  to remember at this point, but  I'm actually the one
> that kicked off the whole McMansion discussion when I pointed out that
> a lot of Americans are making disgusting, self-indulgent decisions.

Why do you  care so much about the decisions  that other Americans make?
Are they  not afforded the same  freedoms in making dumb  decisions that
you are?  Or do  you prefer  that their decisions  are influenced  by an
omniscient power (like government) that knows better what they want than
they do?

> Why? Wouldn't the market correct itself?

Do you think  the market needs governmental help  correcting itself? Who
says that the market isn't already  in the process of correcting itself.
I would submit this very thread as evidence of the correction process.

> For now, I'm still renting.

This is actually probably the smart thing to do. Clearly you are not one
of those that  was forced into buying  a home that was too  large and on
too small  of a lot.  When low quality  homes are overpriced,  the smart
thing to do  is rent; especially if one cannot  find anything agreeable.
But then, I guess  that presumes that one has the  ability to make those
kinds of choices to begin with.

> There's a  limit to how  often one can run  back to the  argument that
> "People do X so they must want X." Sometimes "People do X because they
> didn't have many other options."

Let me  correct my statement then.  Builders build those kinds  of homes
because people buy them.  Whether or not they want them  I suppose is an
attempt to infer some kind of utility.

> And when the market  fails, the role of government is  step in for the
> good of society.

I guess you  just answered my previous question. So  you want government
to  come in  and mandate  some kind  of quality  controls; or  would you
rather they  imposed price controls?

Andy
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