Thread: Someone explain this to me.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

"You're just being contrary"

"No I'm not"

"Go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!"

They say, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten." So why do we repeat things that we know aren't working?
There's major changes coming to all of our countries. And God help us all.

It's funny how folks keep harping on how Govt has grown so much but I never hear about how corporations have grown so big. In fact they are the ones who sit in the background and really control things including Govt and it's because of them Govt has gotten so big in many areas.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

It's funny how folks keep harping on how Govt has grown so much but I never hear about how corporations have grown so big. In fact they are the ones who sit in the background and really control things including Govt and it's because of them Govt has gotten so big in many areas.

That's a fair point until you realize that the only way corporations get so big is via CRONY capitalism, which always requires a big government politician on the other side of that equation. Rather than criticizing companies that have taken advantage of favorable tax rates, loopholes or bailouts, I choose direct my ire towards the government bureaucrats that meddle in markets not permitted by the Constitution. As much as I dislike companies that were bailed out or that get political favors, they are not breaking the law and they are acting in the best interest of their stakeholders. Big gov meddling exceeds the confines of the Constitution and as one look at the debt will show, they do not act in the best interest of the taxpayers.

Be angry at both big business and big government, but please don't think that "your guy" in government will be immune to the campaign contributions and favors that business is happy to offer in exchange for political protection/favorable regulation/bailouts, etc. Nobody has magic beans in their pocket. Only those politicians that stand against ANY meddling in markets can possibly reduce the influence of big corporations. After all, if one is not willing to even entertain the idea of picking winners or loser in a market, they can't be bought by big business.

Originally Posted by eflatminor

That's a fair point until you realize that the only way corporations get so big is via CRONY capitalism, which always requires a big government politician on the other side of that equation. Rather than criticizing companies that have taken advantage of favorable tax rates, loopholes or bailouts, I choose direct my ire towards the government bureaucrats that meddle in markets not permitted by the Constitution. As much as I dislike companies that were bailed out or that get political favors, they are not breaking the law and they are acting in the best interest of their stakeholders. Big gov meddling exceeds the confines of the Constitution and as one look at the debt will show, they do not act in the best interest of the taxpayers.

Be angry at both big business and big government, but please don't think that "your guy" in government will be immune to the campaign contributions and favors that business is happy to offer in exchange for political protection/favorable regulation/bailouts, etc. Nobody has magic beans in their pocket. Only those politicians that stand against ANY meddling in markets can possibly reduce the influence of big corporations. After all, if one is not willing to even entertain the idea of picking winners or loser in a market, they can't be bought by big business.

Yes and also remember all those tax codes were written by the rich folks and corporations through their lobbyists so as to create such favoritism. The type of political system we have begs the problems. It (meaning the problems) have been around since the earliest times even in the days of small govt and the corruption was probably worse back in the 1800s.

Don't meddle with the markets and you return to the extreme boom and bust cycles tied to capitalism that has plagued this country since it's inception. No, big Govt doesn't prevent this however it mutes it and helps pick up the pieces.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Don't meddle with the markets and you return to the extreme boom and bust cycles tied to capitalism that has plagued this country since it's inception. No, big Govt doesn't prevent this however it mutes it and helps pick up the pieces.

I couldn't disagree more.

Originally Posted by eflatminor

I couldn't disagree more.

+100. Sad really that in my country capitalism bashing, and the "eat the rich" mentality has become so ubiquitous. Show me historical proof that ANY system has done better over the long haul than unfettered capitalism. Granted, we Americans tend to be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes but isn't the EU about to implode because womb to tomb security that is all the rage in socialism just is NOT sustainable. A Cuban friend at work is equally puzzled by America's infatuation with socialism. He says in Cuban everyone is equal, equally miserable. Cuba, North Korea, the Soviet Union, Venezuela, Vietnam, tell me one place at one time in history where a government ensuring equal results for all has ever worked.

Capitalism is far from perfect but I don't know that it's all together accurate to say that it has plagued our country since it's inception. How many stories have you heard about people who rolled into Ellis Island with $5 in their pocket and unable to speak a syllable of English only to become well to do business owners a few years later. Limited oversight is not a bad thing but the problem is governments everywhere have never been very good at limiting anything to pragmatic levels. Slippery slopes are often exaggerated but this one need not be. In the last hundred years or so we've done some good things with government oversight (child labor laws, time off, benefits for workers etc.) Regrettably though, large segments of the population has become dependent on the government to do for them what they should be doing for themselves. Not to mention what the entitlment attitude has done to the once powerful "protestant work ethic" or what the firmly entrenched welfare state has done to destroy the American family.

You know, the negative about having a bottle opener on your car key ring is it makes it difficult to open your beers while you're driving...

Just thought I'd mention that in case they put little cameras in our cars. The whole world has gone completely insane, I don't actually trust insurance companies to pay up, anyway. I bet they all back out and during the upcoming zombie apocalypse anyway, or whatever comes after they unleash that new strain of chicken flu they cooked up. Anyone hear about that?

I'm going to be a cross between Henry David Thoreau and that guy in The omega Man (or I Am Legend). I think maybe I should start working on a shaving cream recipe now...

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

You know, the negative about having a bottle opener on your car key ring is it makes it difficult to open your beers while you're driving...

I have a friend working as anauditor for a major insurence company who said that a couple of years ago, the insurence industry were tinkering with the idea of getting a law passed to have all new production cars fitted with brethylizer starters and having older cars retro fitted with them at no cost. They had the backing of the Federal and state governments and knew they would have the backing of manysafety advocacy groups. They've shelved the idea for now though because they were getting some tension from both the auto industry and the law enforcement unions. My friend said that it is only a matter of time before the idea gets put back on the table.

Entitlement attitude?

How about corporate welfare and entitlement attitude from them? All the laws that are and have been passed written by lobbyists and corporate interests to benefit them? What's the difference?

Just because a segment abuses something doesn't mean you throw it out. You regulate more har har but that means bigger govt doesn't it?