It's all about oppurtunity...

[Dinner]

Originally posted by monkspider
For now, what you say is true to a large extent. But if buisnesses decieded to focus on the common good, rather than competing with each other, they wouldn't really be buisnesses, now would they?

No, they'd be bankrupt.

[Soul Survivor]

Originally posted by Smiley


The genetics argument is BS when applied to intellectual pursuits (there is still justification in things such as sports). The human brain has a far larger capacity than the demands of all but a few jobs (the US presidency being one of them) so unless you're brain damaged from drug use or boozing during pregnancy (now why is that not a crime?) genetics aren't going to hold you back that much.

So you're saying that someone who can get an 800 on the Math SAT's, without tutors, without studying has no advantage over someone with the exact same background who studies for a dozen hours each week, gets tutors for months and can only get a 550......

[Japher]

But eventually you'll realize that when the portion of your tax money that went to welfare obviously wasn't enough to help out the needy, that you should give twice, or thrice (or more!) whatever your taxes were to the needy

Your insane! There are less needy people in this country than there are people paying taxes. Why would I want to give more the needy who are already taking a lot. If it ain't getting to them then it is the governments fault and not mine, and I would rather shout at my congressman than give a bum on the streat alcohol money! That's my alcohol, and I worked hard for it!

[monolith94]

"They can sell their home, and rent one instead, while using the money from the sale to start their own business..."

Good god man, are you insane??? Do you even realize how expensive it is to start your own business, and indeed how many of them crash and burn??? And then you talk about reducing risk by diversifying in stock!!!

Ming's wrong again, quel supris...

[Japher]

Seeing as Monolith has successfully debunked Mings response I would say that conversation is mute

[monolith94]

I suspect ming's silver spoon is all-a full of crack - only that can account for his addle minded comments.

[Ming]

Originally posted by monolith94
Good god man, are you insane??? Do you even realize how expensive it is to start your own business, and indeed how many of them crash and burn??? And then you talk about reducing risk by diversifying in stock!!!

Ming's wrong again, quel supris...

Both are different cases for different situations...

Yes, you can lose your shirt starting a business, and you can also succeed beyond your wildest dreams... it's a risk. It's a matter of CHOICE... and that was the point being made. He was claiming they didn't have a choice... yet there was a choice, just one they aren't willing to risk or take.

So I am in no means wrong... you are the one in the wrong by saying threre is NO choice... like usual

[Odin]

Originally posted by monolith94
I suspect ming's silver spoon is all-a full of crack - only that can account for his addle minded comments.

Ming just thinks he is so wise because he is a Mod.

[monolith94]

"Yes, you can lose your shirt starting a business, and you can also succeed beyond your wildest dreams... it's a risk. It's a matter of CHOICE..."

So if they do decide to risk everything, and put their hearts and souls into a new business, and it fails, either do to, say, some bigger company moving in, or unexpected economic circumstances, and they lose everything, then what? It's not an easy choice, is it? In addition, founding a new business is not an easy thing, it requires a certain amount of know how and savvy, certainly in this modern age. Are you going to tell me that any poor kid living in the ghetto, just barely inching by on rent, has the opportunity to strike out on his or her own???

[monkspider]

Well Ming isn't wrong per se, I think there is some truth in his fiction. But I think his attitude would be sharply altered if he had to live a day in the shoes of someone struggling financially. He has some good things to say, but lacks the perspective of someone who has seen poverty first hand. If circumstances were different, I think he would be far more likely to find some common ground with us.

[Ming]

The old "what can he possible know, he has money" whine... i could say that maybe you guys don't really understand antyhing because you have no experience of real life because you haven't lived long enough... But I don't, because that's not a valid comment either.

Life is about making choices... if you are afraid to make them, or just too lazy, you shouldn't complain about your current situation.

If you want to score big, sometimes you have to take some risks... even if cricumstances were different, I would give the same advice.

Oh... and I have lived from pay check to pay check before in the past... I took the risks... and they paid off.

[monolith94]

And if they hadn't? You'd have started again, of course!

[Ming]

That's right... I would have started all over again... a choice.

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Business is where you get the money to put your compassion to a useful end. Without business you don't have the resources to help anyone.

Business is our highly dubious method for distributing resources. The theory is that people will vot with their money in the marketplace and seek to maximize their value preferences. In reality, business sets the initial state of the marketplace in ways designed to maximize profits. This delimits your choices of which values to maximize. Business then uses advertising to help create second order value preference that - you guessed it - seek to create value preferences in line with profit maximization.

Why is this bad (and collaterally, why is Ming evil)? Glad you asked. Take Fast Food (and I highly recommend the book "Fast Food Nation" on this subject). Not healthy, is a likely cause of obesity, has high amounts of extraneous fecal matter in the meat, companies buy meat from jerks who cut down rainforest, so on and so forth. Why on Earth would people eat this crap? A proper second order value preference would be for long term health over taste or low prices. So what do fast food companies do? Aim their ads at children to create a preference for the fast food. Moreover advertizers are deliberately trying to provoke kids to nag and act rude towards their parents. So next time you see a rude child in public, you have Madison Ave. to thank.

Non-profits and academia offer two alternative models even within our capitalist system for the distribution of scarce resources.

[orange]

Speer becomes a libreal...what next? France conquers the world?!