Just so there is no misunderstanding, the title of this thread is not meant to suggest that liberals are understanding but rather to suggest a means by which others may begin to understand one of the commonly held and mistaken views of liberals.
Liberals (and many others) mistakenly equate or link business and business people with the free market. Business, in their view, is private sector profit-seeking activity and the free market is merely the place where such profit seeking behavior takes place. Liberals have a very limited view of business and a very expansive view of free markets.
Now contrast this with my views of business and free markets. I tend to view business much more broadly and the free market much more narrowly. For example, I think we are all in business. I am in the business of selling stuff. Others may be in the business of selling their time and skills to an employer. Still others are in the business of loafing while seeking to ensure that others provide for their needs. One can engage in any of these business activities without believing in or desiring free markets. The free market is a belief that each of us should be as free as possible to engage in business without harm from others or interference from government. Don't confuse business activity with a free market.
Now let us consider our current economic problem and view it in light of the differing definitions of business and free markets. Liberals see businesses grovelling for bailout cash and conclude that the free market is a failure. I see businesses engaging in profit seeking behavior with no regard for free markets. I see businesses that have failed in a free market and, for the sake of their survival, turn to the market distorters, or politicians, for a solution. I see businesses moving away from free markets and towards distorted, government-run economic activity. It is a mistake or a lie to suggest that these businesses are engaging in free market activity when in fact they are doing just the opposite.
Now this is no innocent mistake and it has profound implications for society. The failed-free-market theory provides the argument for just about every bad idea advanced by liberals. If the free market is a failure, then we have to turn to government for the answers, right? Isn't that what liberals do?
It is no accident that liberals dominate in the businesses that are least free and most dominated by government. Thus liberals are merely engaged in their own type of business when they trash the virtues of the free market. They do this in order to ensure greater government control of the economy because, in the short term at least, it is in their own economic self interest. More public school teachers, more government jobs, more welfare handouts for people who won't work etc...
If you have made it this far, thank you for hanging in there through my rambling and please consider my main point, that business and free markets are NOT the same thing.
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21 comments:
At the moment I can offer little because you have so hit the nail on the Head.. My first instinct was to point out the oxymoronic nature of the Title, Liberals don't "Understand" and when they are confronted with facts, begin to make noisy nonsensical Blather, such as saying "Haliburton", 3 times and spinning around in circles..Or pointing out that you are racist, or some other BS.
I always marvel at the inability of Teachers to understand Math.. Like Private School choice would be better for Public Schools, because more money per pupil would be left over if the Choice kids were to leave.. But Logic and Liberalism just don't seem to have alot in common. I'm gonna go rinse myself with Essential Oils, and try to Fung Shway My House. That kinda stuff makes Sense to Liberals..
BTW George Will said to Sam Donaldson today....You are a Pyromaniac in a field of Straw men." I Laughed my Arse off!!
BTW Great Roundtable on This Week today even Cokie Agrees that the President needs to change the tone.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6882538
Thanks for the vote of approval UP. A pyromaniac among straw men- that's beautiful. Now that you mention straw men, there is an element of the straw man argument with respect to business and free markets. For example, free marketers are grovelling for cash... therefore the free market is bankrupt. Unfortunately, Republicans (not synonymous with free marketeers) have contributed mightily to this perception by growing the size of government, albeit at a slower pace than the dems.
The issues is what are we going to do about it?
How far will we go to defend our freedom or as long as the checks keep coming...
The short answer - nothing can be done now. The number of voters who think they are going to get freebies - regardless of whether they ever do - now outnumbers those who don't expect freebies. Look at Cook County, land of only one political party, and you see how this country will spin around the bowl for a while.
In Cook County there are almost no Republicans to blame except for the general "it's Bush's fault" mantra, taxes continue to increase, friends and family get government and pricey contracting and consulting jobs, and crime continues to grow.
colt, you are doing something. Weren't you against the subsidized housing in West Racine? And you won. The problem is that we have to be ever vigilant. Another problem is that we are losing the youth to the indoctrination at RUSD.
I think you made your point very well.
On the other hand...
We are losing (if we haven't already lost) the war.
I'm not sure the checks and balances will return before the entire scale falls over completely.
The current enonomic and political climate has already created the nightmare we have always wanted to avoid.
As a taxpayer and consumer, I'm done playing the game. I refuse to buy anything I don't need. I will no longer go out to eat. I will find ways to write off anything I can. I will no longer donate any money to organizations, only items I can write off. I will carry no debt. I will buy gold or other precious metals, in lieu of investing. And finally, I'll quit voting too.
Yikes anon 9:14, you forgot to mention moving to Sweden or something like that. Why all the despair? Life presents challenges, always has, always will. Liberalism, as it is understood today, will fail. And when it does, we have to be ready to move in the opposite direction. Don't give up.
Yes Denis we must fight in every way we can. And keep fighting when there is a hvy cost to pay.
The words "Is Life so dear or peace so sweet..." mean something to me.
My Fathers and grandfathers did not fight and some die for this county to see it turned into a workers paradise.
My Native American history teaches me that one fights vs laying down
You only have given the point of view of the loudest, looniest lefties. I lean fairly strongly to the left, and I certainly don't agree that the free market system is a failure.
Mixter
Yes Mixter I am describing the loony left and certainly there are loons on the right, but I am beginning to wonder where are the moderate, pro business left. They are not in Congress as only 12 or so voted against the massive government expansion. The only reason to massively or even slightly expand government is because of a greater faith in the public sector than the private sector. Thus the looniness, which exists on the so-called right (RINO's) is really more a matter of degree. I sometimes think that the moderate left is moderate only because they haven't thought about stuff enough. One becomes moderately liberal by default and increasingly liberal according to the amount of exposure to universities. Some just go off the deep end because they are actually somewhat insane. And then there are those who, upon exposure to well reasoned conservative thought, may actually come around to that point of view over time. Based on what I have observed from you Mixter, I would include you in the last category. I hope you consider that a compliment as that is how it is intended.
Oh, you flatterer, you! :)
I have grown more conservative over the past couple of years, actually. Which, if you ask me, is really weird, being an unemployed loser and all! I guess I am moderate, with no agenda other than trying to live a decent life.
Mixter
Mixter - my dad dropped out of school in eigth grade to work in the coal mines to support his family. My mom went to school at night to become an MT in the 40s. This is the rich, elitist, conservative Republican power couple that I came from.
You are not a loser - the main problem with this country is that there are too many 140 IQ folks sweeping the floors while 100 IQ folks, mail order degree in-hand, have six-figure jobs spouting about technology and economic development.
eighth . . . sorry
Ridiculous premise - as many 'liberal' (your term) are, were, and will be small/large business owners in Racine and everywhere else.
Because they do not read from your 'bible' regarding economics, you trash them.
Issue closed.
Anyway, your 'non-liberal' gods of wall street have brought the world to the brink; redistributed wealth; and take NO credit for it!
You folks are delusional.
Urban Pioneer said:
"...BTW George Will said to Sam Donaldson today....You are a Pyromaniac in a field of Straw men." I Laughed my Arse off!!"
BTW, George Will is a hzck...
squeeze
plop
splash
That's what you righties did to the global economy...
Just hold tight - we'll be paying for everything you want very soon.
Got crack?
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