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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (413310)	9/3/2008 8:58:20 PM
From: i-node	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1576465

Its free markets that enabled two major negatives to happen to this country......the housing debacle and the energy freezeup. Free markets discourage gov't regulation......hence the housing mess. Free markets were unconcerned that oil may be running out and discouraged the development of alternative energy sources until to late......hence the current energy crisis. Ignorant. Free markets have nothing to do with with the "housing" (I assume you mean the "mortgage") debacle. We've had these kinds of problems on a routine basis in highly regulated as well as less-regulated environments. It is simply a product of overheated markets, and these kinds of "debacles" serve as relief valves to insure that more serious events don't occur. As to oil and alternative energy sources, you have it ass backwards. It is specifically the free market that insures that alternative energy sources will be developed as needed. When gasoline prices get sufficiently high, the emphasis on alternatives appears. With $3 gas, there is simply no reason for a focus on alternatives. With gas at $5, $6, or $7 or higher, where it will eventually be, alternative energy will get done and quickly. That's the way markets work. What we know does NOT work is markets that are hogtied with government regulation. I refer you to the longest period of sustained economic growth since the Great Depression, that is, the Reagan Revolution years.

To: tejek who wrote (413310)	9/4/2008 12:10:43 PM
From: TimF	Respond to of 1576465

Its free markets that enabled two major negatives to happen to this country......the housing debacle and the energy freezeup The "housing debacle" is well connected to the actions of government, and in any case is the type of failure that markets can and have recovered from many times, if not blocked by the government. As for energy the market has responded more rationally and appropriately than governments usually have. Consider the price controls on oil and gas (and briefly on many other things) instituted by Nixon, the expensive failed "synfuels" projects of the 70s, the restrictions and delays on oil and gas drilling (and on other sources of energy, including the alternatives you seek) imposed by government... The political decision making is what gets rigid solutions, the market is more flexible.