Catanomics: another cat tale

I was having a discussion about economics with the cats: Lamont, Patchtricia and Pawline the other day. I suspect they are developing their own lobby group.

Lamont began by saying, “If I can pick it up in my mouth I can walk away with it and it is mine.” This explains why so many things keep disappearing from my desk.

I responded by saying, “Things should be used for the common good and if you take my stuff that is bad economics.”

Patchtricia said, “Your stuff? What makes it your stuff? We spend far more time out here in the Shackteau than you do so by eminent domain it rightfully should be our stuff.”

Pawline the piped up and said, “The ‘common good’ we are common cats ergo these things, which you call “yours” are equally ours.”

I just hate getting hoisted on my own petard, let alone out argued by a clouder of cats. I responded, “But I paid for these things that you are purr-loining, therefore they are mine.”

Pawline meowed, “Paid for, paid for. You are the only one in this group who has money with which to “buy” things. Money is merely a bargaining or trade method used among you homo sapiens. We cats have no such opportunity to engage is such barter and trade; does that mean we have nothing of value?”

Patchtricia chimed in, “Unfair, extremely unfair. Do we charge you for our purrs, our rubbing against you legs or the vast amount of hair we leave around here? Do we not provide you and the other human the brushes us and brings us food unbounded love and affection and other such intangibles beyond any human artificial token of trade? Posh I say, and double posh!”

Lamont then leapt upon the scratching pillar and proclaimed, “My feline friends it is obvious. We must organize. We must unionize. We must protect our feline rights from these running human capitalist bourgeoisie!” Whereupon Patchtricia and Pawline joined in in three part cat harmony singing, “Cat power, cat power. Power to the cats! We are felines hear us meow!”

I left the room/Schackteau with my tail tucked under my skin as it is with humans. I must do more research for this ensuing debate. It was very embarrassing.