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How is it competitive when just a handful of companies (4 or 5) collectively dominate at least 80% of the market?
In the business I'm in, "just a handful of companies (4 or 5) collectively dominate at least 80% of the market," yet my business is doing well and growing every month.
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Originally Posted by kovert
Its not Shaniqua from the hood that's milking our system out of billions and holding the country down.
What makes you think this is not what they are planning?
And America, as we have known it, destroyed. Welcome to an oppressive "big brother" government that wants control over every aspect of your life. Cass Sunstein calls this (what you mentioned above) "nudging". By making things they deem bad for us prohibitively costly, they get you to stop doing (eating) those things, and put those businesses out of business.
We've had that in America ever since the Nixon administration.
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There would be no government bailouts if the government didn't give them. It is largely the Democrat party that is the Welfare Party.
Both parties have been Corporate Welfare Parties. The GOP just as much as the Dems. Reagan talked like Friedman but acted like Keynes.
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Let me suggest a book to you: Atlas Shrugged. Read it and learn.
"Nietzsche 90210"?A badly written 1950s potboiler novel mixing "women's fiction" (as they called soap operas then) with science fiction, and whose only laudatory aspect is its admittedly quite hot sex scenes? Too bad you have to suffer through interminable pages of nonsensiscal speeches to get to them.
If you want to recommend midcentury libertarian fiction you'd be better off recommending Heinlein than Rand. He was a much better writer.
Regarding Rand's ideas: she was wrong in thinking that large corporations were being persecuted by the big bad Feds. In reality, large corporations like the Taggart Railroad in "Atlas" engage in rent-seeking and capture of government. They get big because of their dependence upon government. Time to restore the wall of separation between corporation and state.
I agree that the profit motive HAS to be removed from our health care system.
The profit motive is what drives innovation.
If you're fine with maintaining our current level of technology and care, then great. I'm not. I want to be able to prevent and cure ailments that are currently not preventable or curable, and without a profit motive, the companies that develop those technologies have no reason to continue doing it.
I'm for true UNIVERSAL health care - where anyone can treat anyone - without fear of government prosecution, nor need for government permission.
And I am for higher taxes - - - on the government.
They should have to pay a 20% tax on all expenditures - just like the country does.
If an agency has a million "dollar bill" budget, they pay $200,000 in taxes back to the treasury.
If they ask for MORE, their tax rate increases proportionally ... and they have to pay more back to the Treasury. And the obvious side effect - no more deficits.
And to rein in entitlement abuse - anyone who accepts charity from the public treasury cannot vote, nor hold office. Because no recipient should control the public purse.
i agree with you jetgraphics in theory. In fact if the government put that into effect with good intentions, we would see a rise in the value of the dollar because there would be less dollars in the world. but by paying 20% in tax on any money they take out, all the fed really has to do is print 20% more money keep that extra 20% and spend whatever they wanted to spend in the first place just increasing the amount of money in the system. totally counterproductive, i know, but the fed has been "printing extra money" since nixon ended the bretton woods system in 1971
Last edited by Orincarnia; 03-09-2010 at 01:17 PM..
Reason: fact verification.
tax all products un-nutritiously high in processed sugar, sodium, fructose corn syrup; tax McDonald's, Dominoes, BK and all the fast food chains; slap a big fat juicy tax on the firearms industry; and for good measure the producers and users of pollutants in our environment.
Cost of universal health care solved.
There is another glaring example that the myth of capitalism and free markets is really a sham.
This industry is actually oligopoly that begs for and receives government bailouts. Why doesn't any scream and shout about these corporate welfare queens milking the system out of tax payer money?
Those that make statements about national security should investigate the posted links.
I say...Liberals should just give all there tax refunds to the Govt. to put in a H.C. fund
Since you want everyone covered for free....Lets start with "your" money 1st.
... but the fed has been "printing extra money" since nixon ended the bretton woods system in 1971
Actually, that is incorrect.
The Fed does not "print money". The Congress borrows on the credit of the U.S., pursuant to Article 1, Section 8, USCON. Pursuant to title 12 USC Sec. 411, FRNs (Dollar bills) are an obligation (debt) of the U.S. government to pay face value, on demand.
That promise was repudiated in 1933.
In addition, in law, notes are not money.
In fact, Congress has been issuing 'bad checks' since 1933.
It has been able to, because of the underwriting of that debt, first by the States, in 1933, and later, the people, via "voluntary" enrollment into national socialism (FICA).
Over 300 million "Human Resources" are collateral on that unpayable national debt (over 12 trillions). As liable parties, they cannot refuse tender of those worthless notes.
See: hypothecation and re-hypothecation.
Welcome to the United Socialist States of America, soon to become the People's Democratic Socialist Republic of America.
I think he's objecting to being forced to help out.
When govt regulation goes down, voluntary charity goes way up. Happens every time. It's the nature of the American people.
But when govt starts forcing people, forcibly taking money from them to give to others, voluntary charity goes to hell. People say, "Why should I do that, the govt is taking care of it now.".
Increasing government intrusion is ALWAYS bad for the country.
I know what he's trying to convey.
Frankly, I've never understood the miserly character of some people. It doesn't matter if they have modest means or are millionaires several times over, their money is their money.
That's so shortsighted and counterproductive that it hurts.
These misers stand on the shoulders of others. They exist as they are only b/c of the accomplishments of others. So kicking a little bit back to the system to keep it humming along in a humane manner seems like a pretty good idea to me.
If our "leaders" had any courage at all, they'd offer the only real solution, which is to raise all income tax levels by about 50% in return for free medical care for everyone, and ask the people to tighten their belts and pay for it.
But no.
Instead, the Dems will lie about the truly immense cost, and the Reps will try to scare everyone with rumors of socialist takeovers that are somehow worse than the current scandalous system.
Perhaps the real problem is with our elected representatives, regardless of party, who more and more demonstrate that they are either incapable of intelligent thought or profoundly mentally ill.
Want to know HOW we can pay for universal health care
answer
the FAIR-TAX
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