05-16-2008, 01:13 AM
Hi,
Compare the changes in the well being of countries as a function of where on the laisser faire to communism economic scale they lie. Look at Hong Kong, before and after. For that matter, look at China as it is moving a little bit toward a free market. Look at the surge in prosperity in India as government regulations are lifted. Compare that to the stagnation in most of the socialist European countries, and very much to the total failure of the communist countries. Now, tell me again why increased government control is good? It seems quite the opposite to me. The old adage, "he governs best who governs least" seems to apply quite well to economics.
The one point in favor of your argument is that the government does need to control some things in business and industry. It needs to enforce contracts (so that, e.g., the insurance policy you buy pays off when it should). It needs to enforce product safety (giving you a court to sue the the manufacturer of defective products, and a law to sue them under). And so forth. But all these necessary limitations are to ensure safety, integrity, honesty, and to protect the consumer. The existence of a totally free market combined with consumer protection laws is not impossible. Even those who flunked out of Econ. 101 usually know at least that much.
Obviously a person who's ability and talent is kicking a ball would have become a doctor if he could make more money as a doctor than he does as a soccer player. The fact that, outside of soccer, he's a barely functioning idiot has nothing to do with it.
Clearly the doctor who charges the most must be the best, since money is the only motivation.
What the school system really needs is a large number of teachers who don't give a damn for the kids, who are themselves ignorant, who couldn't teach a snake to crawl, but who went into teaching for the money.
Bah. Enough.
--Pete
Quote:Your explanation might be suitable to a 5 year old but I am very much aware of these things.Clearly not, given that you continue to make your sophomoric arguments in favor of socialism. Which gives the five year old the advantage. He might be ignorant, but he's got the potential to learn.
Quote:First I need to point out that your market economy isn't a real market economy there are many many trade restrictions etc. and other governmental 'input', the only difference compared to e.g. Venezuela is that in the case of the US and other western countries these things favor the rich instead of the normal people. (this just to point out that your hallelujah market economy 101 is not working like you think it is).Nice rebuttal. Now, had I said "the US market economy", then you would have been partially right. But since I was speaking market economy in the abstract -- you know, the idea rather than any implementation -- your argument is just another example of your euro-trash propensity to grab any excuse to bash the United States.
Compare the changes in the well being of countries as a function of where on the laisser faire to communism economic scale they lie. Look at Hong Kong, before and after. For that matter, look at China as it is moving a little bit toward a free market. Look at the surge in prosperity in India as government regulations are lifted. Compare that to the stagnation in most of the socialist European countries, and very much to the total failure of the communist countries. Now, tell me again why increased government control is good? It seems quite the opposite to me. The old adage, "he governs best who governs least" seems to apply quite well to economics.
The one point in favor of your argument is that the government does need to control some things in business and industry. It needs to enforce contracts (so that, e.g., the insurance policy you buy pays off when it should). It needs to enforce product safety (giving you a court to sue the the manufacturer of defective products, and a law to sue them under). And so forth. But all these necessary limitations are to ensure safety, integrity, honesty, and to protect the consumer. The existence of a totally free market combined with consumer protection laws is not impossible. Even those who flunked out of Econ. 101 usually know at least that much.
Quote:How can a species survive if we create society that makes it more interesting from a personal standpoint to do something that is useless, just because you make loads of money instead of doing useful things.Clearly your understanding of motivations is no better than your understanding of economics.
Obviously a person who's ability and talent is kicking a ball would have become a doctor if he could make more money as a doctor than he does as a soccer player. The fact that, outside of soccer, he's a barely functioning idiot has nothing to do with it.
Clearly the doctor who charges the most must be the best, since money is the only motivation.
What the school system really needs is a large number of teachers who don't give a damn for the kids, who are themselves ignorant, who couldn't teach a snake to crawl, but who went into teaching for the money.
Bah. Enough.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?