The Zimmerman Trial

[The Mad Monk]

You're not American enough to understand how the strongest warriors in the tribes came to rule, and eventually became kings?

[Felch]

Government doesn't start out big either you dumbass.

If you think governments grow the same way private companies do, then you are profoundly fuckwitted.

[regexcellent]

I bet there are a lot of Ivy League academics who see the expansion of Wal-Mart as a modern day Mexixan-American war.

[Imran Siddiqui]

That's the expansion of Home Depots.

[giblets]

Isn't Wal-Mart helping them reclaim the southwest by hiring illegals?

[kentonio]

If you think governments grow the same way private companies do, then you are profoundly fuckwitted.

Are you too stoned to remember your own comment ass-hound?

But Walmart started out small and grew because it was good at what it does. It didn't start out big and become good because it was big. So yes, kentonio's point was invalid.

[regexcellent]

Are you too stoned to remember your own comment ass-hound?

Jesus dude, put down the shovel and come out of that hole, it's almost 6 feet deep.

[Felch]

Governments do not exist in a marketplace. I can choose to shop at Walmart, or I can go across the street to Target. In order for Walmart to stay in business, they have to be competitive. I can not freely choose which country I live in. The United States doesn't have to compete for me in the same sense that Walmart does.

Government growth is independent of efficiency. Governments grow because the people in charge of them decide to make them grow. They are able to generate revenues without the consent of every individual taxpayer. I'm not a psycho-libertarian, so I'm not against all taxes, but I do recognize that they are generally involuntary, and most people would spend their money on stuff other than a trillion dollar defense establishment or payouts to big donors if they could. The problem is that small, well organized groups are more influential than large, disorganized groups. Since taxpayers are large and disorganized, while rent seekers are small and organized, the general trend has been for special interest groups to latch onto the bloated sow of government like a million little piglets. The bigger the government, the more tits there are to latch onto. Small, local governments tend to be less able to maintain these corrupt arrangements, and are more accountable (since a mayor or city manager is still going to live in town).

It is completely dishonest to pretend as though Walmart is comparable to a government. I'd call you names, but I realize there's nothing in the world worse than being British. You have no freedom of speech, no freedom to assemble, you have an established church, and you can't even go to the store and buy an AR-15 to defend your home and loved ones from Redcoats. What's worse, you're ****ing retarded, probably because British schools taught you that all good things come from Her Majesty and Her Majesty's Government. You're life is worse than death, and I hope you persist on this earth for many years to come.

[Elok]

Well, I was with you till the third paragraph, Felch...

[kentonio]

Governments do not exist in a marketplace. I can choose to shop at Walmart, or I can go across the street to Target. In order for Walmart to stay in business, they have to be competitive. I can not freely choose which country I live in. The United States doesn't have to compete for me in the same sense that Walmart does.

The argument was never that governments and shops are identical. Government has a different form of competition because it relies on public satisfaction to re-elect those responsible for it.

Government growth is independent of efficiency. Governments grow because the people in charge of them decide to make them grow. They are able to generate revenues without the consent of every individual taxpayer.

No, government grows chiefly as a result of peoples expectations on government rising. Politicians campaign on promises, and government is the tool they have to fulfill those promises. If the people decide they want small government, then they can elect people who run on that promise, and it will happen, but the simple truth is that most people do not want small government. Or rather they don't want it after it's pointed out to them what that actually means losing.

I'm not a psycho-libertarian, so I'm not against all taxes, but I do recognize that they are generally involuntary, and most people would spend their money on stuff other than a trillion dollar defense establishment or payouts to big donors if they could. The problem is that small, well organized groups are more influential than large, disorganized groups. Since taxpayers are large and disorganized, while rent seekers are small and organized, the general trend has been for special interest groups to latch onto the bloated sow of government like a million little piglets. The bigger the government, the more tits there are to latch onto. Small, local governments tend to be less able to maintain these corrupt arrangements, and are more accountable (since a mayor or city manager is still going to live in town).

I'm certainly not saying big government doesn't bring problems, because it certainly does, but I think the picture of small local government being more accountable and transparent is often simply not the case. Some of the worst corruption cases in history have been at mayoral or town council level.

It is completely dishonest to pretend as though Walmart is comparable to a government.

Considering I'd just been talking about 'the savings from things like large scale procurement, group administration, wide scale coverage of services etc' it actually was a relevant comparison. Obviously only someone with a mind addled with low grade weed would have made any larger connection.

I'd call you names, but I realize there's nothing in the world worse than being British. You have no freedom of speech, no freedom to assemble, you have an established church, and you can't even go to the store and buy an AR-15 to defend your home and loved ones from Redcoats. What's worse, you're ****ing retarded, probably because British schools taught you that all good things come from Her Majesty and Her Majesty's Government. You're life is worse than death, and I hope you persist on this earth for many years to come.

Aww bless.

[notyoueither]

Government is competitive is like saying that voting for who will control the monopoly is a free market.

Your different form of competition is bafflegab.

The crux is that govenrment and the civil service are not subject to the same forces that make markets efficient, one of the most important ones being competition.

[regexcellent]

Felch you can be my backwoods survivalist bunker buddy any time

[kentonio]

Government is competitive is like saying that voting for who will control the monopoly is a free market.

Your different form of competition is bafflegab.

The crux is that govenrment and the civil service are not subject to the same forces that make markets efficient, one of the most important ones being competition.

The 'crux' is basically bull****. Government does not have the direct influence of markets (thank ****) but is subject to other forces such as direct public accountability in a way that companies are not. The only way government efficiency is not increased by public accountability is if the public stop bothering to hold government accountable. Of course it's much easier to sit and whine about 'inefficient government' than it is to get off your asses and actually do anything about it.

[notyoueither]

Well, at least you're off the government is efficient due to the inhenrent strengths of size kick.

Now you're closer to something more meaningful, that we get the government that we deserve, and I encourage you to pursue that windmill, I mean dragon, that bothers you so.

[kentonio]

Well, at least you're off the government is efficient due to the inhenrent strengths of size kick.

Not at all, large scale procurement is an obvious saving. So obvious I can't believe we're actually discussing it. It's like having to argue the benefits of single payer all over again.

Now you're closer to something more meaningful, that we get the government that we deserve, and I encourage you to pursue that windmill, I mean dragon, that bothers you so.

#GolfClap