You can only maximize profits in a free market by serving your customers.
Theoretically anyway, right? Since there's never been a true free market and all...
The state allows this. In a free society, BP would have had to pay all of the cleanup costs.
Who would make them?
Would you use violence against me to take some of my wealth?
I am trying to figure out if you would steal and commit violence against me for defending myself against theft, because you can only feed yourself but have all these high minded ideals YOU CANNOT LIVE UP TO.
Well, it depends greatly on the circumstances. But it's not about me. It's about how our society works and the rule of law. We have people designated to enforce the law. It's their job to "steal and commit violence" against you.
Also, COOL USE OF CAPS BRO.
If I came by my wealth voluntarily, I don't owe anyone anything. Society is not a suicide pact.
I don't even know what that last sentence is supposed to mean.
Do you acknowledge, at least, that you could not have come upon your wealth without the labors of many other people?
Again, the government creates the monopolies. If there was open competition, the market would handle monopoly conditions that did not benefit consumers. When the government goes after a monopoly, it is always politically driven, not market driven.
You have a lot of faith in something that is purely a theoretical construct.
Like Wall Street AMIRITE?
Are you talking about the bailouts? I am in no way qualified to debate economics. Even seasoned economists routinely disagree. It's a field that seems full of bias.
They are almost all technically insolvent, and their debt leveraged prosperity will come to an end, one way or another.
Okay, when that happens you can 'tell me so.' And then maybe I'll reconsider your freemarketry.
Although, to be honest, I'm more likely to consider some form of true Anarchy, as I think it probably fits better with my egalitarian nature.
Ever heard of the greater fool? Some idiot on the street who can't even understand fractional banking, or Econ 101 is going to inform my opinion? Go to Greece and ask the rioter on the street what they think of your high minded government ideals.
Does someone need to have a degree in economics to tell you whether or not their life is going well and they're happy or not?
My understanding of Greece is that it's full of corruption and there are a lot of people evading taxes. It's fortunate for them the rest of the damn socialist Euros will probably bail them out.
If you, and I repeat, if you understood anything about economics, you would understand that things have to be produced. You cannot just demand them. Everyone wants a maserati and a steak dinner. But these things do not appear out of thin air. Someone has to work to create and distribute them.
When you DEMAND universal healthcare, it is paid for. Someone, somewhere is paying for it. Demanding it politically, just means that freeloaders get it through state violence without having to pay for the violent enforcement or the healthcare itself, which based on your earlier comments, seems to be consistent with your social philosophy. Take from the producer to subsidize the consumer. Remove the incentive to get ahead, and subsidize failure.
GREAT PLAN COMRADE!
Your use of the word violence... it's kind of stupid, to be frank. Government thugs aren't beating doctors to force them to tend to patients in Europe.
No, what is slavery or imprisonment is being forced to provide a social safety net to people who cannot and will not produce enough to pay for their own expenses. People who cannot produce enough to justify their existence. Politicians, welfare others, the chronically lazy, the deliberately ignorant.
So you consider yourself a slave then? Imprisoned? I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. Your life is orders of magnitude better and freer than a true prisoner or slave (and there are hundreds of millions of them).
Being a slave to the unproductive, lazy and dull is misery. Anyone who pays significant taxes already feels this.
Anyone? So the rich liberal is a myth? Or are they all tax-dodgers?
Your misery is in your mind. You create it, you just want to find someone else to blame. You see the cup as half empty.
There is a reason why people try to pay less taxes, not more. Of course, then there are the people like you
When you say people like me, you mean people who accept the need for at least some government and taxation? i.e., 99% of the population?
I guess, you feel you're right, and most everyone else is wrong. Understandably, that makes you miserable.
Where is it done right? All of the western democracies are technically insolvent. They spent money they didn't have building your glorious system.
I've asked you this before - please stop ascribing things to me I've never said. I never said the system was "glorious" or anything like it. In fact, I explicitly stated I think there are a lot of problems and there will always be room for improvement. Don't put words in my mouth. If you can't debate in a civil and respectful manner, then I'm not going to bother debating with you.
One day, the music will stop because we live in a world where actions have consequences.
It may well be. And if and when that happens, I hope we will be able to learn from our mistakes and try again with something better.
