Election Thread

[Swiss Mercenary]

See, I believe you are close to the answer here. You have the notion that in order to protect people, business needs to be rigorously regulated. You advocate prevention before a wrong can be committed, and I'm advocating punishing those who do wrong things. So, for example, if people want to work 70 hour weeks, who are we to tell them "no"?

Because it won't be an isolated incident. If that is permitted, it will quite probably result in everybody else getting the said 70 hour sweatshop work weeks, as long as the consumers don't care about the policies of the company they purchase from.

And that rarely happens.

Isn't that a matter of negotiation between an employee and employer?

They are not on even remotely equal grounds, here, so I don't see it as much of a negotiation.

As long as people have the right to quit an abusive job, I think regulating things like minimum wage or maximum hours are infringing on the rights of employees and employers. So, no. Sweat shops, slavery and indentured service should not be allowed, but if a single young person with no social life wants to work and get paid for 6 x 12 hour days, who are we to step in and limit his weekly wage?

And he should be able to do that.

Howevber, what if the employer takes the next step - require all the rest of his employees to work 6x12, knowing that he can always replace them (People are a renewable resource, right?), if they don't agree. It need not be 6x12 drastic, but it may very well come in small steps.

If people are stupid enough to allow their information to be sold to list brokers and telemarketers, then they deserve to get calls and junk mail.

Stupid enough? Most of the contracts wherein you signed it away prior to most recent times had checking that box as a requirement, if you want that service/credit card/whatnot. Stupid enough? That's similar to saying that the elderly are stupid enough to fall for schemes and scams.

I'll respond to the rest in a bit.