Government vs Private Industry: People Should Know Better

[Procrustes Stretched]

"The idea that private industry can always do something better than the government is false and sad and divisive," "People should know better." - so said a very brilliant and no nonsense man.

Is he a socialist or a leftie?

---

The right is always trying to own the idea that they and their masters in private industry are the only ones who can do things --well right. Myth vs reality. Sorta like the idea that Ronald Reagan was a conservative with principles.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

He's neither leftist or a socialist, he's just not got his sight fogged by partisan hackery. Who said it, by the way?

 

[Andrew2382]

please name me 1 government program that is running flawlessly and not in the red.

Cause I can name about 50 that are all broke and corrupt....51 if we are too add healthcare

 

[The Rabbi]

There are certain things that gov't needs to do that cannot be done privately.
But there are many things currently being done by gov't that could easily be done privately, at much better value for the taxpayer.
Bureaucrats get power by having larger and larger responsibilities and the staff to carry them out. There is no incentive for efficiency. The very opposite. The more people it takes to do something, the more power the bureaucrat has.
Business is the opposite. Businessmen get power by producing profits for their unit or division or company. The more profit they produce, the more power they get. It inherently means there are incentives to efficiency.
So gov't will always be less efficient at delivering something than the private sector.

 

[pal_of_poor]

"The idea that private industry can always do something better than the government is false and sad and divisive," "People should know better." - so said a very brilliant and no nonsense man.

Is he a socialist or a leftie?

---

The right is always trying to own the idea that they and their masters in private industry are the only ones who can do things --well right. Myth vs reality. Sorta like the idea that Ronald Reagan was a conservative with principles.

Seriously, after having to bail out the banks, and loan money to GM and Chrysler (twice), two of the largest corporations on the planet, in the private sector, you'd think republicans would get over this myth that the government is always worse than the private sector.

The government really should have a larger role when it comes to the commons, utiities, and health care, fire and police, and that sort of thing. If it's life or death, and we have to have it, and not a choice, like buying a stereo or iPod, then the government needs to take a much larger regulatory role.

I think we also see how badly an industry can screw up when you remove nearly all government regulation too, as we saw with allowing banks to combine with other financial entities, a big, big mistake.

Regulation keeps the industry in line, just like regular laws keep people in line.

 

[The Rabbi]

Um. Banks are among the most highly regulated institutions in this country. Have been since the 1930s.
Government has been the problem, not absence of government.
Please check your facts before posting idiocies.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

You know how you can tell if someone is a total moron?

They talk about "deregulation" in America in 2009 as if it was something real

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

He's neither leftist or a socialist, he's just not got his sight fogged by partisan hackery. Who said it, by the way?

Leonard Kleinrock - ARPANET...developer...

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

please name me 1 government program that is running flawlessly and not in the red.

Cause I can name about 50 that are all broke and corrupt....51 if we are too add healthcare

name me one private industry that ever ran flawlessly.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Government is to provide an irreducible number of programs.

Capital is to make a profit.

The first is about morality, serving the people. The first must always regulate the second to make sure that competition is always healthy. Then the people will truly be served.

 

[rightwinger]

Um. Banks are among the most highly regulated institutions in this country. Have been since the 1930s.
Government has been the problem, not absence of government.
Please check your facts before posting idiocies.

And someone with Rabbi's philosophy used this as justification for deregulating the banks. Government oversight is always bad.

Threw the whole world into the largest recession in 70 years.

And yet morons like Palin still insist that it was too much Government oversight that lead to the collapse

 

[Toro]

Um. Banks are among the most highly regulated institutions in this country. Have been since the 1930s.
Government has been the problem, not absence of government.
Please check your facts before posting idiocies.

False causality.

Please understand banking before posting idiocies.

 

[editec]

please name me 1 government program that is running flawlessly and not in the red.

Cause I can name about 50 that are all broke and corrupt....51 if we are too add healthcare

And how many private banks do we have to thank for the fact that the economy is so in the shitter than government revenues are down, again?

This is a silly argument, folks.

Some things are done more efficiently by government because the thigs that need be done are not conducive to having a private industry do them.

Some things are better left to private industry.

The Floundering Fathers understood that perfectly, which is exactly why they founded our government to begin with.

 

[Nosmo King]

Where's the privately owned, developed and operated interstate highway. Or the private moon landing. Or the private system of locks and dams on navigable rivers.

What's the difference between a private university and a state university? Cost.

 

[Ravi]

please name me 1 government program that is running flawlessly and not in the red.

Cause I can name about 50 that are all broke and corrupt....51 if we are too add healthcare

Army
Navy
Air Force
Marines
FBI
CIA
DOT
Secret Service

There's a handful. There are many more, but I doubt they'll matter to partisan hacks.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

please name me 1 government program that is running flawlessly and not in the red.

Cause I can name about 50 that are all broke and corrupt....51 if we are too add healthcare

Army
Navy
Air Force
Marines
FBI
CIA
DOT
Secret Service

There's a handful. There are many more, but I doubt they'll matter to partisan hacks.

It matters. The fighting portion of the military is run on merit, that's why they excel. Odd that the only budget items Dems want to cut is military spending.

How did you leave out: VA Hospital system, public housing and public schools?

 

[Ravi]

please name me 1 government program that is running flawlessly and not in the red.

Cause I can name about 50 that are all broke and corrupt....51 if we are too add healthcare

Army
Navy
Air Force
Marines
FBI
CIA
DOT
Secret Service

There's a handful. There are many more, but I doubt they'll matter to partisan hacks.

It matters. The fighting portion of the military is run on merit, that's why they excel. Odd that the only budget items Dems want to cut is military spending.

How did you leave out: VA Hospital system, public housing and public schools?

I only listed a few. Those qualify as well, as does NASA, the internet...etc, etc.

 

[Maple]

"The idea that private industry can always do something better than the government is false and sad and divisive," "People should know better." - so said a very brilliant and no nonsense man.

Is he a socialist or a leftie?

---

The right is always trying to own the idea that they and their masters in private industry are the only ones who can do things --well right. Myth vs reality. Sorta like the idea that Ronald Reagan was a conservative with principles.

Here's the difference, private industry has to make a profit, therefore they have to work under a balanced budget, watch thier nickles and dimes, otherwise go bankrupt and out of business.

The government on the other hand NEVER has to show a profit, they never have to balance the budget, therefore they could care less about the nickels and dimes, and when they run out of money they just print more money and RAISE your taxes.

 

[Bfgrn]

"The idea that private industry can always do something better than the government is false and sad and divisive," "People should know better." - so said a very brilliant and no nonsense man.

Is he a socialist or a leftie?

---

The right is always trying to own the idea that they and their masters in private industry are the only ones who can do things --well right. Myth vs reality. Sorta like the idea that Ronald Reagan was a conservative with principles.

Robert W. Taylor said it...
The Internet has many fathers, but few deserve the label more than Robert W. Taylor.

Here's a famous liberal's take...

"The legitimate object of Government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done but cannot do at all, or cannot so well do, for themselves in their separate and individual capacities. But in all that people can individually do as well for themselves, Government ought not to interfere."
President Abraham Lincoln

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

"The idea that private industry can always do something better than the government is false and sad and divisive," "People should know better." - so said a very brilliant and no nonsense man.

Is he a socialist or a leftie?

---

The right is always trying to own the idea that they and their masters in private industry are the only ones who can do things --well right. Myth vs reality. Sorta like the idea that Ronald Reagan was a conservative with principles.

Wait so we can only either trust corporations or trust government?

Oh we are SOOOOOOO screwed if thats the case.

Personally I like the constitution which was designed to keep the federal government weak and the local governments strong...in effect giving communities direct access to those that govern them and the laws/rules that will be used. Over the last few decades we have increasingly nationalized government power instead of keeping it localized, this is the true cause of the problems we see.


The federal government is not, from its track record, looking out for the people
The corporations, from their track record, are not looking out for the people.

Its the people that look out for themselves, as our founders knew governments and companies are not the answer.