ahhaha's ahs Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : ahhaha's ahs

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: Ilaine who wrote (93)	9/28/2000 11:16:31 AM
From: GraceZ	Read Replies (1) of 24758

but the government you think is so benevolent Please point me to the exact phrase that I used that would lead you to believe that I think that the government is so benevolent? I'll quote myself here: The way I like to look at it is as a very large incentive trap. If you pay in and don't receive back you are getting taken and the sum of what is paid out is going to be billed to you anyway so in order to not get taken you have the incentive to pay in as little as possible and try to receive back as much as possible. Problem is that everyone else is doing the same thing. The trap just gets bigger and bigger until it can no longer be supported by those suckers that haven't figured out they are getting taken. Best way to deal with an incentive trap is to opt out and not play.....if you can. I can't see how you read my above statement and come to the conclusion that I am in fact advocating the "welfare state" as we know it. In reading the article that you pointed me to in the New Republic I find that my views of society aren't that far off from those expressed in the article. He'd meant to triangulate, to split the difference between the twin evils of soulless laissez-faire capitalism and soulless socialism. Because I question whether these social problems can be solved better does not mean that I'm advocating the present solution or even happy with it. It's a basic nod to the fact that any and all solutions have attendant shortfalls and are imperfect. I said: Not once did I say that this was the right or correct or even the best way. You asked me to ask myself whether or not I felt that the government knew better than I did. Just ask yourself whether the government knows what you need better than you do So I asked myself, and my first thought was "hell no" but then I thought of the two times in my life when in fact they did have a better idea of what I needed. I was simply following your logic. The government came in to fill a void. Where there is contention between us is in whether or not had they not been there, would the void have been filled by someone in the private sector. I think this question while debatable, can't be answered definitively. Obviously you think that it can be answered and I asked for an example. As for this having nothing to do with @Home and making money, I'd take a lead from Ah here, it's his thread. If anything, he has written far more words than I ever have on the issues surrounding the socialist tendencies of the present government and world governments. Obviously he feels these issues are intimately tied to economic thinking. I don't think it is his contention that his statements can be made, but not challenged and I've certainly never been closed to having my mind changed. He has actually changed my mind on any number of issues.

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next