Lindblom - The Market System - Afghan Journalists' Committee

Maximum Reach 91Let us look at each.Contingent control. No one can offer the sun, magnificentlyuncontrollable, for sale. But urban rights to sunlight—includingrights to obstruct, by high-rise construction,a neighbor’s access to direct sunlight—are for sale insome societies. To offer a performance or object for sale obviouslyrequires that human beings can physically offer ordeny it. This control has to be like a valve or gate—it mustbe precise enough so that the performance or object can beoffered to another person contingent on that person’s respondingwith a specified price. To take an example of thecontrary, rarely, if ever, is genuine deep affection offered forsale; although human beings can generate it, they do notcontrol it well enough to turn it on in order to induce an offerof a price. Hence the market system deals instead in simulatedaffection, which is supplied contingent on reciprocalresponse. People who can afford to do so sometimes spendheavily to obtain marks of affection rather than affection itself,as well as to gain evidences or marks of prestige, likehonorary degrees or medals.Scarcity. It is pointless to offer a performance or objectin hope of a reciprocal benefit if what is offered is not scarce.“Scarce,” it will be remembered, does not mean in smallamount; it means that there is not enough to go round unlessdesires are somehow constrained. If a performance orobject is not scarce, offering it will induce no response. Airtransport and opticians’ skills are scarce. So also is power—or beauty—of some kinds, fame, or a reputation for integrityor rapacity. If available without constraint—ifeveryone has all of each that he wants—no one would offerany for sale, and no one would buy.Scarcities are not God given. In some hunting and gatheringsocieties, land is not scarce. But aggressive members