Economic calculation and welfare considerations in monopoly and firm theory

The critical reaction of Austrian economists to the neoclassical monopoly theory could be explained by two major facts: this theory lacks definitional clarity, necessary for any serious theoretical analysis, and it contains a dangerous theory of welfare, which is not only incorrect, but tries to justify an aggressive intervention of the state into the realm of purely voluntary market exchanges. The neoclassical theory was, curiously enough, accepted in its main points by Ludwig von Mises, who displaced however the perfect competition as standard for evaluating the “imperfection” of monopoly. We will analyze the explicit and implicit welfare criteria that Mises employs in his theory.economic calculation, monopoly, firm theory, welfare

An Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Relationship between Ethics and Today’s Capitalism

The paper begins by emphasizing the fact that, on a historical scale, one can have several views of the relationship that has existed over time between ethics and capitalism, namely: missionary, ‘Nietzschean’, critical, and ‘regulatory’. It is argued that, nowadays, the capitalization of the contributions supplied, over time, by the four views embraces the form of two modern diametrically opposed perspectives, i.e.: on the one hand, there is the interpretation given by the neo-classical school of thought (mainstream economics) and, on the other hand, it comes to the interpretation given by the Austrian praxeological economic school (libertarian economics). The emphasis of the analysis is put on the assertions developed by the last one, libertarian thinking, that insists on the necessity to operate with a well-defined distinction between the legal level of the matter, the ethical level and the moral one. At the core of the libertarian analysis there is the understanding of the capitalist system being naturally impregnated by ethical values. And this intrinsic ethical nature of capitalism is organically bound to the sphere of the ownership-type relationship. In line with the understanding of the economic system, based on the institutions of the free market as representing ethical capitalism per se, the paper argues that the realities of the world today show governmental interventionism as a main factor that supports non-ethical economic behaviour. As a consequence, the more limited government intervention is, the greater the chance of ethical capitalism, that is, voluntary, non-conflictual and non-aggressive economic market relationships. Under such conditions, a ‘minimal state’ institutional arrangement (that is, the legitimate use of power by the state is limited to preventing fraud or the use of force; it does not include the power to tax or to confiscate property) is the basic condition for the existence of an ethical capitalism that works, which is to say that the chance of an economic system based on ethical values stands in people’s willingness to be part of such an evolution in society that aims to minimise the role of the state. Further, the paper argues that any historical analysis on how societies asserted such a willingness outlines the expression of a secular and unshaken option for growing rather than diminishing state involvement in the economy. It is about people’s perennial preference for the state, namely for the organization of society based on state interventionism (respectively, their preference for the coercive order imposed by the state authorities, order based, through its own nature, on the subjugation of private property and the aggression against individual freedom), with a preference for the government intervention over the organization of a society based on free market functioning (which is equivalent, in fact, to their rejection of a voluntarily and spontaneously non-violent order, based on the observance of private property and individual freedom, brought about by the free functioning of markets). In the last part of the paper there are put forward for discussion the possible explanations for this perennial preference for non-ethical capitalism, the analysis focusing on two directions: firstly, on that of social ontology; and then, on that of human psychology

Evolutionary History and Taxonomy of the \u3cem\u3eCuscuta umbellata\u3c/em\u3e complex (Convolvulaceae): Evidence of Extensive Hybridization from Discordant Nuclear and Plastid Phylogenies

The Cuscuta umbellata complex is one of the 15 major clades recently circumscribed in C. subg. Grammica. Most of its members occur in North AMerican and the Caribbean (C. desmouliniana, C. lacerata, C. lacerata, C. leptantha, C. liliputana, C. odontolepsis, C. polyanthemos, C. tuberculata, C. umbellata), but three species (C. acuta, C. membranacea, C. umbellata) grow in South America, and one (C. hyalina) is found as a native species in India, Pakistan and Eastern to South Africa. Basic morphology, scanning electron microscopy and sequence data from the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the plastid trnL-F region were used to reconstruct the phylogeny, gain a better understanding of the evolutionary history, and determine species boundaries. Our results show that in its currently accepted delimitation C. umbellata is polyphyletic. Discordances betwen phylogenies derived from plastid and nuclear data strongly suggest that at least four independent hybridization events have occurred in the evolution of this species group, rendering relationships among its members more complex than previously thought. One of these reticulation events involves C. umebellata var. relexa, a taxon that has been considered synonymous to C. umebllata var. umbellata in the last decades. This hybrid is morphologically intermediate but distinct from its putative parents, C. odontolepsis or C. acuta on the maternal side, and C. umbellata (var. umbellata) on the paternal side, which supports its treatment as a new species, C. legitima. Cuscuta umbellata is further redefined to exclude C. umbellata var. dubia, which is merged into C. desmouliniana. A new classification is provided, together with an identification key, descriptions, illustrations, and geographical distributions for the twelve species of the clade

\u3cem\u3eCuscuta Jepsonii\u3c/em\u3e (Convolvulaceae): An Invasive Weed or an Extinct Endemic?

Despite their ecological significance, parasitic plants face more conservation challenges than do autotrophic plants. This is especially true for the groups that include weedy or invasive species such as Cuscuta. While approximately half of the Cuscuta (dodders) species may require conservation measures, the genus as a whole is sometimes posted on governmental lists of noxious or quarantine weeds. Our study challenges this stereotype and uses the case of C. jepsonii (Jepson’s dodder) to illustrate the precarious biodiversity and conservation status faced by many dodder species. Until now, Jepson’s dodder has been known only from its type collection. Consequently, its phylogenetic affi nities, morphological variation, and ecology have remained unknown, and the species is currently ambiguously considered either synonymous to the invasive North American weed C. indecora or to an extinct endemic from California. Using molecular data from newly found collections, we infer that C. jepsonii belongs to C. californica species complex, instead of C. indecora clade. Also, we discuss the conservation of this species within the broader biological and ecological context of Cuscuta in general

Newtonian Lorentz Metric Spaces

This paper studies Newtonian Sobolev-Lorentz spaces. We prove that these spaces are Banach. We also study the global p,q-capacity and the p,q-modulus of families of rectifiable curves. Under some additional assumptions (that is, the space carries a doubling measure and a weak Poincare inequality) and some restrictions on q, we show that the Lipschitz functions are dense in those spaces. Moreover, in the same setting we show that the p,q-capacity is Choquet provided that q is strictly greater than 1. We also provide a counterexample to the density result of Lipschitz functions in the Euclidean setting when q is infinite.Comment: v2: 32 pages. Formula on page 23 corrected; typos remove

The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 131. \u3cem\u3ePolygonum aviculare\u3c/em\u3e L.

A review and assessment of biological information as well as personal data are provided for Polygonum aviculare in Canada. The species has been revised taxonomically and the six subspecies that occur in Canada are presented. Three of the subspecies, P. aviculare subsp. aviculare, P. aviculare subsp. neglectum and P. aviculare subsp. depressum are weeds introduced to Canada from Europe. A fourth subspecies, P. aviculare subsp. buxiforme is apparently native to North America. The geographical distribution of the latter four subspecies is very wide. Plants exhibit a high phenotypic plasticity and genetic variability, and they easily adapt to a multitude of agrestal and ruderal habitats. The seeds have a variable dormancy and polymorphic germination as a result of heterocarpy, genetic and environmental factors. In other areas (Europe), the species has developed resistance to triazines. Plants are hosts to nematodes, viruses, and fungi that also affect cultivated plants

The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 126. \u3cem\u3eAmaranthus albus\u3c/em\u3e L., \u3cem\u3eA. blitoides\u3c/em\u3e S. Watson and \u3cem\u3eA. blitum\u3c/em\u3e L.

A review of biological information is provided for three species of the genus Amaranthus: A. albus L., A. blitoides S. Watson and A. blitum L. The last species has been revised taxonomically and a new subspecies for Canada is presented—A. blitum subsp. emarginatus (Moq. ex Uline & Bray) Carretero, Munoz Garmendia & Pedrol. Amaranthus albus and A. blitoides are native to the U.S.A. and introduced to Canada. Both species are annual ruderal and agrestal weeds. During the past 100 yr the two species have spread across most provinces of Canada, but the greatest frequency and abundance have been recorded in Saskatchewan. Originating from Europe, Asia and North Africa, A. blitum was initially considered a non-persistent species. The present study shows that A. blitum especially, subsp. emarginatus, has continued to spread in Québec. The three species are alternate hosts to many insects, nematodes, viruses, bacteria and fungi that affect cultivated plants. In other areas (U.S.A., Europe and Asia), the three species have developed multiple resistance to triazine and acetolactate-synthase-inhibiting herbicides

The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 133. \u3cem\u3eCuscuta campestris\u3c/em\u3e Yuncker, \u3cem\u3eC. gronovii\u3c/em\u3e Willd. ex Schult., \u3cem\u3eC. umbrosa\u3c/em\u3e Beyr. ex Hook., \u3cem\u3eC. epithymum\u3c/em\u3e (L.) L. and \u3cem\u3eC. epilinum\u3c/em\u3e Weihe

Cuscuta spp. (dodders) are rootless, holoparasitic herbs with filiform stems attached to the host by numerous haustoria. In Canada, Cuscuta gronovii is the most common native species of the genus followed by Cuscuta campestris and C. umbrosa. Cuscuta epithymum and C. epilinum, both introduced species in Canada, occur occasionally. Infestation by Cuscuta spp. can result in serious yield losses and dodders are listed as noxious weeds in British Columbia, Ontario and Québec, and as restricted weeds in Alberta. These plants have evolved special adaptations to ensure their success: germination occurs late in the season when potential hosts are already established; seedlings selectively forage in plant communities and they may survive relatively long periods during the autotrophic stage. Invasion occurs via extremely elaborate mechanisms designed to match the biological processes of their host and bypass defense mechanisms. The principal means of dispersal of Cuscuta weeds world-wide (including Canada) has been through contaminated seeds of previously infested forage legumes. In other areas (e.g., Israel), C. campestris has developed resistance to ALS inhibitors (chlorsulfuron, and sulfometuron-methyl) and AABI herbicides. Complete descriptions and illustrations are provided for discussed species