>>> I am not saying that people should do the right thing or have ethics,
I understood that,
>>> is that every businessman wants to eliminate competition, in every legal way possible.
You ought to visit main street once in a while, Gerry. Actually, we mostly treat each other pretty decently out here, most of the time. Just as an example, maybe half of my contracts are verbal. That works out OK, because the decent people try to do business with each other first if they can. We just try to do business, sell people stuff they need, and don't waste too much life fretting over the money we could have had by gutting someone else every chance we get.
>>> Assuming it violates no other generally applicable law,
Are you ever going to accept a consent decree, injunction , judgement or anything else in this case as meaning laws were in fact broken?
>>> So what is wrong with predatory conduct?
See your minister, rabbi, or priest. Page him now. ;-)
Cheers,
Chaz
P.S.
There has been a lot of research on altruism in various species over the last decade. Just two points:
1. The genetic theory of 'the selfish gene' has pretty much been discarded in favor of a recognition that altruism is probably an inherited trait. Altruism is observed in many species, in a variety of circumstances. That's because most species do better with it than without it. Including ours, especially.
2. In computer simulations somewhat like 'the game of life', objects given some altruistic and honest characteristics thrive better than purely selfish ones when these trait are randomly distributed among a 'species.' The 'individuals' that do best are those that are not predatory, have affordable altruism, and have strong 'vengeful' characteristics when 'betrayed.'
I think these studies have some merit. I think that not only the health of a species or of an individual, but the health of an economy or of a nation depends on most of the people trying to do the best thing for everyone most of the time. When they don't, that particular society loses its vigor and cohesion, and goes into a downward spiral.
Then either that society disappears, into darkness like the Romans, or the four horsemen need to apply their cruel tonic. |
