Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

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.

Politics : Electoral College 2000 - Ahead of the Curve -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: moosebeary who wrote (6211)	12/14/2000 1:12:52 AM
From: Raymond Duray	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 6710

moose, I wouldn't fear Capitalism. The price of goods gets cheaper all the time, due to capitalistic competition. What planet are you living on? The California spot price of natural gas is $61/MCF today. Last year it was under $4. The average home heating bill across the U.S. is going to be up by 40-60% this winter. What's cheaper about that? The capitalistic competition that was going on at 2PM this afternoon at the California Independent System Operator was a very capitalistic affair. The energy supplies from the Northwest were curtailed because certain California utilities are facing bankruptcy. What's so great about unbridled capitalism? Seems to me it sucks, once you get to look at the raw belly of the beast. caiso.com You can banter all you want about your academic and pie-in-the-sky views of capitalistic competition. But I just provided you a glimpse of a crisis, brought on by theorists of capitalism, that should never have been allowed to happen. California is going to be held hostage to some wickedly strange market forces for the next few months. This isn't your pretty little garden party capitalism. This is the real deal. Raw and in your face. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am, of course, familiar with the work of Julian Simon and the bet he won against Paul Erlich. So, sure, generally commodity prices come down over time. But tell that to the Stellar Sea Lions of the Bering Sea who are in catastophic population collapse because we hoovered out all the pollack for surimi and cat food. Tell me that that I can buy wild salmon for a price anywhere near what it was even 5 years ago? You can't. Not with human depredations on salmon habitat, and the imminent collapse of wild stocks. And a lot of it because corporate farmers and shipping companies could foist dams on rivers in the West through a corrupt political system that socked it to the American taxpayer for the benefit of a precious few individuals and their corporate interests. moose, it is not that I fear capitalism, because I don't. It is a matter of sensibly controlling its power and its excesses. It is far too much a winner-take-all kind of a game. And the problem is that the winners in the game of capitalism are generally the least scrupulous, most aggressive and most devious among us. And they hate to let any crumbs fall off their ill-gotten table of plenty. -Ray

To: moosebeary who wrote (6211)	12/14/2000 8:09:21 AM
From: Mama Bear	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 6710

"you are very correct in saying that Anarchism and Libertarianism are closely alligned." I guess you think the folks who started this country were closely aligned with anarchism, eh? FYI, while the Libertarians definitely admire Ms. Rand's writings, the party was based on the writings of the Founding Fathers of the US, primarily one called the Constitution of the United States. Anarchy means 'without law'. Libertarianism is not aligned with that by any means. It is really strange the perceptions some folks have of the Libertarian party. Why not get acquainted with the facts before declaring your perceptions reality? Regards, Barb