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A question for conservatives and/or libertarians. by Sharku2009-12-02 07:52:23
  Well, just look around. by JaR2009-12-02 08:25:00
    That is incorrect by DesertRat662009-12-02 08:51:23
      OIC! by JaR2009-12-02 11:52:35
        This is the argument... by firehawk 2009-12-02 12:44:26
...that never seems to sink in.

To the advocates of deregulation and what they call "free markets", they make the implicit assumption that either the vast majority of businesses will behave ethically and generously on their own with no requirement to do so, or that some magical "chairty" sector will suddenly become much better funded and pick up the slack. This fails to take two things into account:

1) It's complete nonsense. Big Business will nearly always seek to enrich its owners first, foremost, and exclusively. In unregulated markets, small businesses exist only to be gobbled up by medium and large businesses. Medium businesses exist almost exclusively to be gobbled up by large businesses. Markets tend toward monopolies, services and product quality tend toward the minimum, and prices toward the highest that the market will bear. Unions break down and employees become virtual wage-slaves to their companies, with no rights, benefits, or ability to negotiate. All of this means that consumers get less and pay more, non-management workers have no wage or job mobility, profits skyrocket, and what we end up with is de facto barons and serfs. We tried this. It sucks.

2) People hate taking charity. This is semi-related to the fact that most charities have at least some religious component to them, and try to shove that religion down the throats of anyone they help. So, once you've been blackballed from the job market (which will be legal, since there's no regulation), your choices become: salvage some initial pride and refuse charity and end up homeless and destitute, swallow your pride and accept both charity and enforced religion, or just off yourself and get it over with.

I'm all in favor of having the opportunity to make your own shingle. I'm A FAN of capitalism, as long as it's regulated and made fair and free. An unregulated market is NOT a free market...it's a market where the biggest wallet wins, and bullying is a business plan.
[ Reply ]
          Here's a question that never gets answered by DesertRat662009-12-02 13:58:36
            WWII? (n/t) by JaR2009-12-02 14:29:43
              Hardly (n/t) by DesertRat662009-12-02 15:03:08
                So you contend that by JaR2009-12-02 15:26:37
                  I'd guess that he'll say it was done inefficiently by AndyA2009-12-02 15:51:47
                    And he also ignores that... by firehawk2009-12-02 15:58:02
                      And who are the Governments stockholders? (n/t) by DesertRat662009-12-02 18:02:25
                        A question that is irrelevant to the subject. by firehawk2009-12-02 19:02:52
                    McDonnell Douglas A4 Skyhawk (n/t) by DesertRat662009-12-02 18:03:32
                      ? (n/t) by vetitice2009-12-02 18:18:59
                        I agree, please elucidate, DR66... by firehawk2009-12-02 19:03:34
                        Came in under budget by DesertRat662009-12-02 19:06:20
                          Any examples in the last 50 years? by firehawk2009-12-02 19:43:45
                            Lots by DesertRat662009-12-02 20:16:48
                              Lots with no documentation, eh? by firehawk2009-12-02 20:48:57
                                Didn't say no documentation by DesertRat662009-12-02 21:15:01
                                Yes, but... by firehawk2009-12-02 21:28:11
                          Fermilab and the NASM both did that too. by vetitice2009-12-02 19:55:50
                  World War II was an event by DesertRat662009-12-02 18:01:43
                    How does it compare to other wars? by firehawk2009-12-02 19:04:22
                      Still events by DesertRat662009-12-02 19:18:27
                        The question is, can you. by firehawk2009-12-02 19:44:30
                          Still can't keep up can you? by DesertRat662009-12-02 20:15:38
                            I'm keeping up just fine. by firehawk2009-12-02 20:52:20
                              Nope, you're not by DesertRat662009-12-02 21:24:20
                                Inane? Contradictory? *chuckle* by firehawk2009-12-02 21:29:15
            Nice way to not address what I said. by firehawk2009-12-02 15:57:07
              You advocate Government as an effective solution by DesertRat662009-12-02 18:05:59
                That's not what I said, and not what I meant. by firehawk2009-12-02 19:05:47

 

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