Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa

[Craig Lamson]

I am not necessarily against free markets in theory, but I have noticed that in free markets it is the little guy who most often gets screwed, and that tempers my enthusiasm.

Big guys get screwed too, its just that there are more little guys than big guys.

Free does not always equate to fair.  Kinda like life...

In the case of Texas, again no one is forcing anyone to live there aside from out of state felons in prison. Yet the population of  Texas has grown by 5 million in the last 10 years or so.   Something about life in Texas is drawing them there.

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[Robert Roaldi]

The issue is government bailouts like we have now that it distorts capitalism and free markets.  In an effort to help, the government only makes it worse.  Do you really think the stock market is going to stay this high with the economy failing because of so much debt and bubbles due to the Fed printing?

Is the economy failing?  Real estate is booming. Every time I go out I am surrounding by Audis, BMWs and pickup trucks bigger than my first apartment.

[Robert Roaldi]

Big guys get screwed too, its just that there are more little guys than big guys.

Free does not always equate to fair.  Kinda like life....

Your blind faith in ideology is heart-warming.

[Craig Lamson]

Your blind faith in ideology is heart-warming.

Its not blind anything. It's just reality.

[Craig Lamson]

Is the economy failing?  Real estate is booming. Every time I go out I am surrounding by Audis, BMWs and pickup trucks bigger than my first apartment.

I guess it depends on who you are asking.  Those who have a good job or those who don't.

[digitaldog]

The government covers half of medical expenses in the US.  We're already socialist.  That's the reason for such high medical costs.

Which is just awful, until Alan needs such medical care (or his social security check).

And the printing.  All that printing.

All at 300 DPI, the horror. 

[TechTalk]

Your blind faith in ideology is heart-warming.

Its not blind anything. It's just reality.

The dark glasses and guide dog fooled me too!

[digitaldog]

It's just reality.

“The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible.” -Mark Twain
Failure once again.

[digitaldog]

The dark glasses and guide dog fooled me too!

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

[faberryman]

Harry is being wheeled into emerge on a stretcher bleeding from a gunshot wound to the gut. Doc leans over and says, "Intestinal gunshot surgery is normally $16,000 but today's spot price is $170,000. Guy over on the next stretcher is offering me $245,000 but you got here first and I'm not sure he can come up with the money. My staff is doing a credit check on him."

Harry looks over to his wife, Marge, and asks, "What do you say, re-mortage the house, pay him the $170,000?" Marge thinks it over, looks at the doc, "Operate on that other guy, I need to talk to my mortgage broker, see what the rates are. Harry shot himself cleaning his own gun, there has be to some personal responsibility here, we don't want to encourage moral hazard, do we, or who knows where we'd end up?"

The government covers half of medical expenses in the US.  We're already socialist.  That's the reason for such high medical costs.  And the printing.  All that printing.

So in reality, in Robert's example, thanks to socialism, the spot price for the operation is not $170,000 but $85,000, and the other guy is willing to pay the doctor not $245,000, but $122,500. That changes everything.

[TechTalk]

“The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible.” -Mark Twain
Failure once again.

If someone had written a novel in 2019 about Trump supporters storming and occupying the Capitol in 2021, it would have been criticized by conservatives as a whacko socialist liberal fantasy.

[Craig Lamson]

“The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible.” -Mark Twain
Failure once again.

So you claim that big guys don't get hurt and that there are not more little guys than big guys?

You think thats credible?

[faberryman]

Something about life in Texas is drawing them there.

It's probably not the surprise $17,000 electric bills.

[Craig Lamson]

It's probably not the surprise $17,000 electric bills.

It should not have been a surprise, their electric provider told them it was going to happen and that they should switch providers.

[Robert Roaldi]

It should not have been a surprise, their electric provider told them it was going to happen and that they should switch providers.

I know what you mean. There are never market failures in textbooks. Salesmen never lie, people are never conned, and if they are it serves them right, all markets are always perfectly transparent. All watchdogs are a waste of money, defund the SEC and the cops!

[Craig Lamson]

I know what you mean. There are never market failures in textbooks. Salesmen never lie, people are never conned, and if they are it serves them right, all markets are always perfectly transparent. All watchdogs are a waste of money, defund the SEC and the cops!

Did I say any of that never occured, or are you saying they never occur when properly regulated by the all knowing government?

[Robert Roaldi]

Did I say any of that never occured, or are you saying they never occur when properly regulated by the all knowing government?

I never implied that you had said those things. I said them.

[Alan Klein]

I am not necessarily against free markets in theory, but I have noticed that in free markets it is the little guy who most often gets screwed, and that tempers my enthusiasm.

It's not free markets.  It's the government.  Whenever I send money to Nikon, I get a camera or lens in return.  Whenever I send money to the government, I get squat. And it's never enough.  It's politicians looking for votes who are handing out printed money making our money less valuable, not free markets.  It was Biden who said before the Georgia senatorial elections, "Remember, vote for Democrats and you get $2000."  So they give with one hand and then take back double with the other. 

Do you really think printing $1.9 trillion and handing it out to everyone is good for the economy?  Look at the price of film.  And what's going to happen next year when they raise taxes to pay it all back?  Of course, they probably won't raise taxes.  Bad for re-election.  They'll just continue to print more to pay for everything so our dollars aren't worth squat.  A hidden tax stolen jn the night when you're not looking.

[Robert Roaldi]

... Whenever I send money to the government, I get squat. And it's never enough.  ...

I think you need to move somewhere with no government to speak of or you'll never be happy.

[digitaldog]

Good bye Andrew.

You think thats credible? 

He can't be directing another stupid question to me, is he guys?

So you claim that big guys don't get hurt and that there are not more little guys than big guys?
You think thats credible?