Robert Reich explains the "Free Market" in a nutshell.

[Mac1958]

Wow, such a binary little world of yours..

too stupid, the world of Plato and Aristotle was not little and the world of the American voting booth is not little. Do you understand??

Nope, sure don't.

You're REALLY out there, ya know that?
.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

and protect consumers
.

why not give us your best example of how a liberal would protect consumers if not with capitalism??

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

Wow, such a binary little world of yours..

too stupid, the world of Plato and Aristotle was not little and the world of the American voting booth is not little. Do you understand??

Nope, sure don't.

You're REALLY out there, ya know that?
.

why not tell us what you don't understand. How will you learn if you are afriad to try??

 

[Mac1958]

and protect consumers
.

why not give us your best example of how a liberal would protect consumers if not with capitalism??

Huh?

Is it now in your head that I'm anti-capitalism?
.

 

[Mac1958]

Does anyone know what's going on here?

 

[dblack]

Does anyone know what's going on here?

Special Ed is on deck.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Does anyone know what's going on here?

He's a moron.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

No, it's not.

That's barter.

So, barter can't be capitalism. I think you are wrong.

Barter like capitalism is a FREE exchange of goods and services..emphasis on FREE. The only difference being barter does not involve the use of money, where capitalism can.

The essence, really, of capitalism, is the idea that each person is entitled to full use and control of what rightfully belongs to him, and that this includes a right to enter into a deal with someone else, whereby each gives the other some of what is his, in exchange for what he receives from the other. Money doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with it, and neither does any concept of government.

Supose I'm a caveman, and I've spent my day gathering rocks. I have more rocks than I need, but I'd like to have some sticks.

Og spent his day gathering sticks, so he has more sticks than he needs, but he'd like to have some rocks.

A socialist might look at my supply of rocks, decide that I have more than I need, and that Og has none, and think that some of my rocks should be taken from me, and given to Og. That same socialist might look at Og's supply of sticks, and by the same reasoning, decide that some of Og's sticks should be taken from him and given to me. It's notable that this approach requires an outside authority—a government—to determine what is the fair allocation of sticks and rocks, and to take from those deemed to have too much of something, to be given to those deemed not to have enough.

A capitalist approach would recognize that the rocks that I have gathered belong to me,and that I alone have any right to determine what to do with them, and that the same applies to Og's sticks. It would be entirely up to Og and me to make a deal between us, if I think I need some sticks, and he thinks he needs some rocks, wherein I would give him some of my rocks,and he would give me some of his sticks. No concept of government would necessarily have anything to do with such an exchange. That, is capitalism, in its purest form.

 

[Sallow]

No, it's not.

That's barter.

So, barter can't be capitalism. I think you are wrong.

Barter like capitalism is a FREE exchange of goods and services..emphasis on FREE. The only difference being barter does not involve the use of money, where capitalism can.

The essence, really,of capitalism, is the idea that each person is entitled to full use and control of what rightfully belongs to him, and that this includes a right to enter into a deal with someone else, whereby each gives the other some of what is his, in exchange for what he receives from the other. Money doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with it, and neither does any concept of government.

Supose I'm a caveman, and I've spent my day gathering rocks. I have more rocks than I need, but I'd like to have some sticks.

Og spent his day gathering sticks, so he has more sticks than he needs, but he'd like to have some rocks.

A socialist might look at my supply of rocks, decide that I have more than I need, and that Og has none, and think that some of my rocks should be taken from me, and given to Og. That same socialist might look at Og's supply of sticks, and by the same reasoning, decide that some of Og's sticks should be taken from him and given to me. It's notable that this approach requires an outside authority—a government—to determine what is the fair allocation of sticks and rocks, and to take from those deemed to have too much of something, to be given to those deemed not to have enough.

A capitalist approach would recognize that the rocks that I have gathered belong to me,and that I alone have any right to determine what to do with them, and that the same applies to Og's sticks. It would be entirely up to Og and me to make a deal between us, if I think I need some sticks, and he thinks he needs some rocks, wherein I would give him some of my rocks,and he would give me some of his sticks. No concept of government would necessarily have anything to do with such an exchange. That, is capitalism, in its purest form.

Seriously, pick up a book. Or watch the video.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

Capitalism…involves currency, contractual obligations, regulatory regimes, and financial institutions, just to name a few of it's components.

None of these are intrinsic or necessary parts of capitalism. These are externalities that we've added on to capitalism, in order to try to make it work better and more reliably; but capitalism can certainly exist, and has existed, without any of these things.

 

[dblack]

Or watch the video.

Can't really say why, but this song always reminded me of Reich:



He should go slow-dancing with Smugman.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

Seriously, pick up a book. Or watch the video.

Stop being so S[h]allow.

 

[Sallow]

Seriously, pick up a book. Or watch the video.

Stop being so S[h]allow.

Come back with some modicum of understanding about the topic.

Capitalism isn't barter. Seriously.

And there are multiple levels of economic protocols before you come to capitalism from barter.

At it's base? And this is really a crude definition..

Capitalism is the accumulation of "capital". You should understand that first.


Capital (economics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Zander]

Maybe Rich is a leprechaun? He does believe in fairy tales....

 

[Mac1958]

Reich will present one side of the story only.

He's the economics equivalent of Limbaugh or Maddow.

Anyone who thinks they're getting the big picture from him is willfully ignorant.
.

 

[danielpalos]

Analogies are just that, for ease and convenience of understanding.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

Reich will present one side of the story only.

He's the economics equivalent of Limbaugh or Maddow.

Anyone who thinks they're getting the big picture from him is willfully ignorant.
.

dear, you are a 100% idiotic liberal buffoon. Plato and Aristotle looked at the big picture; one decided freedom was correct the other decided liberal govt was correct. It seems you lack the IQ to decide, so to cover up you pretend its cool to be a flip flopper independent of the brains needed to decide.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

and protect consumers
.

why not give us your best example of how a liberal would protect consumers if not with capitalism??

Huh?

Is it now in your head that I'm anti-capitalism?
.

why be so afraid to give us your best example of how a liberal would "protect consumers" if not with capitalism??

 

[dblack]

I finally drank enough to stomach watching this douchebag for three and a half minutes. He simply starts with his own delusion, namely that a "public sector" (ie government manipulation of the economy) is a fundamental part of a the free market, and then goes on and on about all the problems caused by this government manipulation of the economy. His solution? More government manipulation of the economy! It doesn't even make sense within the context of his delusional strawman. I guess this is what I deserve for drinking before dinner.

Unless you're into dwarf-porn, and want to check out Reich masturbating, I can't recommend this video. Two thumbs down. Way down.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

I finally drank enough to stomach watching this douchebag for three and a half minutes. He simply starts with his own delusion, namely that a "public sector" (ie government manipulation of the economy) is a fundamental part of a the free market, and then goes on and on about all the problems caused by this government manipulation of the economy. His solution? More government manipulation of the economy! It doesn't even make sense within the context of his delusional strawman. I guess this is what I deserve for drinking before dinner.

Unless you're into dwarf-porn, and want to check out Reich masturbating, I can't recommend this video. Two thumbs down. Way down.

Yes, in short Reich is a typical liberal, but his standard liberal BS gets more respect then it deserves because he's such a warm sympathetic guy who feels our pain.