Are your arguments for your position the same as your opponents arguments for theirs

[Baruch Menachem]

I was discussing recent events with a lib friend, and I was noticing that his views on why we shouldn't trust businessmen are the same as mine why we shouldn't trust too much government power: These guys are too powerful, too corrupt, too venial, all too human.

I have to agree with him that businessmen as a class are normal human beings. Folks who will try to get the most out of you for the least out of them. As are government officials rational actors (or more precisely somewhat rational actors most of the time, at least when it comes to their own self interest)

My personal view is that businessmen, as bad as they are, do not have the authority to do anything to us... our only interaction with them is voluntary on our part. Political power is exactly opposite. They have power over us whether we like it or not. Restraints on political authority are important because any authority any human has over any other human is subject to abuse

 

[theDoctorisIn]

I was discussing recent events with a lib friend, and I was noticing that his views on why we shouldn't trust businessmen are the same as mine why we shouldn't trust too much government power: These guys are too powerful, too corrupt, too venial, all too human.

I have to agree with him that businessmen as a class are normal human beings. Folks who will try to get the most out of you for the least out of them. As are government officials rational actors (or more precisely somewhat rational actors most of the time, at least when it comes to their own self interest)

My personal view is that businessmen, as bad as they are, do not have the authority to do anything to us... our only interaction with them is voluntary on our part. Political power is exactly opposite. They have power over us whether we like it or not. Restraints on political authority are important because any authority any human has over any other human is subject to abuse

I agree with you to an extent - but it's not businessman that I don't trust - it's the "free" market that I don't trust. I don't trust corporate influence on government.

Someone once told me something that I thought was very interesting.

Republicans worry about individual people cheating the system (so-called "welfare queens"). Democrats worry about corporations cheating the system (Halliburton, KBR, private equity, etc).

I wonder which group steals more money from American taxpayers?

 

[theDoctorisIn]

The other problem with your post is this: My interactions with corporations and businesses is only voluntary in the sense that I have the option to go off the grid, and live in a cabin in Montana writing manifestos. Other than that, not so much.

 

[The Rabbi]

The other problem with your post is this: My interactions with corporations and businesses is only voluntary in the sense that I have the option to go off the grid, and live in a cabin in Montana writing manifestos. Other than that, not so much.

Unless you want to posit that EVERY corporation and EVERY businessman is evil and corrupt your post makes no sense.
Businesses are largely very responsive to consumer sentiment. Companies spend lots of money on, e.g. recalls even where they aren't mandated. While we hear about gross abuses, we hear about them precisely because they are so rare.
Government however is not bound by the same rules. They don't care about consumer sentiment, except sometimes around election tiem. And in the bureaucracy none at all. They care about CYA. They care about not rocking the boat and being able to pass the buck.
I am reading "The Death of Common Sense" which ably details this mindset. More and more laws are issued to insure "clarity" and "uniformity" and the result is a more absurd system where the inmates are running teh asylum.

 

[JBeukema]

I was discussing recent events with a lib friend, and I was noticing that his views on why we shouldn't trust businessmen are the same as mine why we shouldn't trust too much government power: These guys are too powerful, too corrupt, too venial, all too human.

I have to agree with him that businessmen as a class are normal human beings. Folks who will try to get the most out of you for the least out of them. As are government officials rational actors (or more precisely somewhat rational actors most of the time, at least when it comes to their own self interest)

My personal view is that businessmen, as bad as they are, do not have the authority to do anything to us... our only interaction with them is voluntary on our part. Political power is exactly opposite. They have power over us whether we like it or not. Restraints on political authority are important because any authority any human has over any other human is subject to abuse

Power corrupts. It matters not the flavour of that power or the title of the person wielding it.