Hot takes on the Democratic frontrunners

[xoxoxoBruce]

Free Market

Oxford
noun
an economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses.

Investopedia
The free market is an economic system based on supply and demand with little or no government control. ... Free markets are characterized by a spontaneous and decentralized order of arrangements through which individuals make economic decisions.

In a free market economy, the law of supply and demand, rather than a central government, regulates production and labor. ... For example, while the U.S. allows companies to set prices, and workers negotiate wages, the government establishes parameters, such as minimum wages and antitrust laws, that must be followed.

They both are involved in determining the price and production of goods and services. On one hand, capitalism is focused on the creation of wealth and ownership of capital and factors of production, whereas a free market system is focused on the exchange of wealth, or goods and services.

WIKI
In a free market, the laws and forces of supply and demand are free from any intervention by a government or other authority and from all forms of economic privilege, monopolies and artificial scarcities.

How is Joe-small-business going to fight Faceless-megacorp using privilege-monopoly-scarcity without the government?
Sue them? You'd be destitute before their lawyers ink dried.
Fair and impartial Judge? Who chooses him/her? Who pays him/her?
Your utopian vision of free market is doomed from the start without the government clout.

[henry quirk]

How is Joe-small-business going to fight Faceless-megacorp using privilege-monopoly-scarcity without the government?

Currently, this joe-small business (me) ain't havin' that problem. When I do, I'll figure it out then.


Your utopian vision of free market is doomed from the start without the government clout.

No, my sensible notions of free enterpise will work well if the rest of you pussies stop runnin' to big brother every time you get the sniffles. You need it, so it's there; stop needing it, watch it shrink.

As for mega corps: they only last as long as big gov lasts. You want 'corp' de-powered? De-power 'gov'.

Again: nuthin' I suggest will work as things are now (in a controlled nation, with a monstrous government, with a largely domesticated citizenry).

This: a free nation, with minimal watchmen proxies, with self-reliant and -directing citizens is where free enterprise, free markets work.

But we'll never have that...cuz of pussies...cuz of you.

[Luce]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

What you have are good examples of poor leadership, overreach, and corruption. And that's what you should call them, because it would strengthen your argument.

Wanting to prosecute? A real fascist, you wouldn't have to base that example on assumed intentions, you'd just see them being prosecuted. Making them stop investigating his taxes? The media wouldn't have to reach hard to turn this example into a quid pro quo; a real fascist would just make it illegal to investigate his taxes.

And so on. You wouldn't have guesses, and oppositional media working overtime to frame things. Your first go-to example wouldn't be he "wanted" to do something. It would be, he DID something.

Both sides engage in this kind of overstatement; is Bernie's proposal to tax investment transactions SoCiAlIsM? Or just another form of taxation?

1. You are acting as if fascism occurs the way a light switch operates. Trump is in fact trying to make it defacto illegal to investigate him. Also, the fact that he is not as successful at being a fascist doesn't mean he isn't actually a fascist.

2. Call it what it is. Sanders is in fact a socialist of the Scandinavian school. Trump is a wannabe autocrat.

[henry quirk]

Mebbre so (but probably not). Still not the same as bein' the out & out fascist you keep sayin' he is.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Out & out? You mean successful? Trump, try as he might, is not successful at being a fascist, in business, or getting the most votes.

[henry quirk]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Out & out? You mean successful? Trump, try as he might, is not successful at being a fascist, in business, or getting the most votes.

I don't see the fascism (ain't nobody crapped in my hat), You wish you were as lousy a businessman, and he won the electoral (which ought to be revised, not dumped).

And: if America sucks so damn much, why is the big O tryin' so hard to take credit for the results of Trump's first term?

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Wanting to prosecute? A real fascist, you wouldn't have to base that example on assumed intentions, you'd just see them being prosecuted. Making them stop investigating his taxes? The media wouldn't have to reach hard to turn this example into a quid pro quo; a real fascist would just make it illegal to investigate his taxes.

A real fascist running a fascist government would do those things. A fascist trying to create a fascist government would denounce anyone preventing him from doing those things, fire people who interfered, when he could, and pressure people who he couldn't yet fire into resigning. And the primary criteria for their replacements in both cases would be personal loyalty to him.

[Luce]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

A real fascist running a fascist government would do those things. A fascist trying to create a fascist government would denounce anyone preventing him from doing those things, fire people who interfered, when he could, and pressure people who he couldn't yet fire into resigning. And the primary criteria for their replacements in both cases would be personal loyalty to him.

This is what I was trying to say, and you did a better job of it.

[henry quirk]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

A real fascist running a fascist government would do those things. A fascist trying to create a fascist government would denounce anyone preventing him from doing those things, fire people who interfered, when he could, and pressure people who he couldn't yet fire into resigning. And the primary criteria for their replacements in both cases would be personal loyalty to him.

Mebbe.

Another interpretation: a prez, tryin' to do the job he was hired to, facin' an array of opposition, might just fight back, exercisin' the powers of his office to cut dead weight; to excise folks unwilling to implement policy; to remove active dissenters from his employ; and to ensure he has 'wingmen'.

You see wanna-be fascism; I see common sense.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

A real fascist running a fascist government would do those things. A fascist trying to create a fascist government would denounce anyone preventing him from doing those things, fire people who interfered, when he could, and pressure people who he couldn't yet fire into resigning. And the primary criteria for their replacements in both cases would be personal loyalty to him.

A narcissist just being a narcissist would act in exactly the same way. (Source: I worked for one)

[Happy Monkey]

To the extent that presidents affect the numbers in question, Obama got better numbers. (Compared to what they started with)

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

To the extent that presidents affect the numbers in question, Obama got better numbers. (Compared to what they started with)

I may have underestimated how much a president can effect the numbers on their own.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

I may have underestimated how much a president can effect the numbers on their own.

I guess his teleprompter reading skills last night didn't comfort the markets.


On the one hand, I'm pleased with him that he is finally taking notice, and clearly sought some help in writing a speech and coming up with some policy. Good for him.

On the other hand, my wife, who is teaching second graders pointed out that some of her students are better at reading out loud than he was last night. He clearly prefers to speak without a script where he can just ramble.

Cruise line stocks fell sharply this morning and I think this will be a longer term problem for them. Images of trapped passengers on sick ships are going to be hard to forget. Some airlines fell 12% or more this morning, and they will absolutely bounce back. It's a good time to buy airline stocks, assuming you can swoop in before others get the same idea.

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

I guess his teleprompter reading skills last night didn't comfort the markets.

He said all travel between Europe and America will cease for a month. Reality: Americans will not be stopped. Only all others cannot travel.

Apparently Americans do not spread viruses. Only Europeans allies do.

He said all trade between Europe and America will be halted. Reality: no commercial trade will stop.

He cannot even read a teleprompter without lying? Someone who has spent his entire life lying daily - of course he cannot even recite what a teleprompter says.

Reading the teleprompter required more than a 30 second attention span.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Congress is planning to spread a large chunk of money they don't have(deficits don't matter) to combat the economic impact of the Kung Flu.
I haven't heard who is getting all this cash;
the company losing business due to a decrease in traffic,
the waitress barely making the rent on tips that will now dry up,
the uninsured who can't afford medical care?