Chaz

This is a huge misconception.

Some of the biggest proponents of government regulation are big businesses themselves. They effectively limit competition and raise the cost of entering a particular industry. Established companies gladly take on the added costs because they have the resources to do so while startup competition does not.

The effect is businesses spend more time serving and lobbying the government and as a result spend less time improving products and serving consumers.

Also all those regulations and government involvement haven't prevented Enrons from happening.

LoyaltyisaCurse

I disagree, one only needs to go back in time about 80-90 years to see that this is not true...

If business had it their way, the company stores would still exist, they would own every phase of business from supply, to manufacture, to sales and keep the American workers as indentured servants.

__________________
"Going from the Raiders receivers to Larry Fitzgerald is like trading a Spam dinner for a well-aged T-bone steak." --Dan Hanzus

When I play rock, paper, scissors, I keep a glass of water in my hand and when my opponent throws down I throw the water in his face and say "Water". Beats all three, scissors can't cut-it, paper dissolves and the rock sinks. Plus it usually surprises the hell out of them.

CaptTurbo

um River any response? If you dont believe it turn on any finacial channel. CNN just had the number run recently on the quality of american cars.

Ford doesnt sell that many fewer cars than toyota but toyota makes 5 times the profit. That wouldnt make much sense unless you take a look at Fords liability vs toyotas.

Chaz

Yep, the propaganda has worked.

Up until that time wages were rising and prices were falling.

That is until the government got involved to limit competition and fix prices at a higher level. Businesses were not going to complain about less competition and higher prices.

Add on top of that the government-corporate partnerships of WWI and accelerate it through the new deal, add in the military-industrial complex after WWII, and we end up with the corporate state we enjoy today.


During the era of "evil" capitalism things were developed like disposible income and leisure time. Free market capitalism (economic liberalism) and the industrial revolution didn't enslave people, in many ways, for the first time in history, it freed them.

Since then the people in charge have been putting the shackles on to slow it down as much as possible while selling the idea to the people that it is for their own good.

Chaz

Thanks to unions Ford and GM have to deal with stuff like this.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosins...A01-351179.htm

Paying people not to work. Billions every year to employees that don't produce anything.

CaptTurbo

Thank you Chaz for finding that. I have hate more liberals call me a liar on that when I stated it months ago than I care to count. I dare anyone, in fact Ill offer a reward to anyone who can find where a company like Toyota does this.

Ford stock 8 bucks
Toyota 109

Rivercard

While it's true that certain European autos do not test well for reliability and that the gap might be closing between US and Euro automakers, the facts speak for themselves:

From money.cnn.com

Best predicted reliability 2006:
(As calculated by Consumer Reports)

Small cars:
Toyota Echo
Honda Civic (2005)
Toyota Prius
Honda Civic Hybrid (2005)
Toyota Corolla
Subaru Impreza (non-turbo)

Sporty cars/Convertibles Coupes
Honda S2000
Mazda MX-5 Miata (2005)
Lexus SC430
Chevrolet Monte Carlo (2005)

Sedans
Lexus GS300/GS430*
Infiniti M35/M45*
Lexus IS300 (2005)
Honda Accord Hybrid*
Toyota Camry
Honda Accord 4-cyl.
Lexus LS430

Wagons
Toyota Matrix

Minivans
(None rated "Best")

Small SUVs
Toyota Rav4 (2005)
Honda CR-V
Honda Element
Subaru Forester
Mercury Mariner*
Mitsubishi Outlander

Mid-sized SUVs
Lexus RX400h (hybrid)*
Toyota Highlander
Toyota 4Runner (V-8)
Infiniti FX35

Large SUVs
Toyota Land Cruiser

Pick-up trucks
Honda Ridgeline*
Toyota Tundra

*Data from only one year was used

CardFan67

Quite some time ago I recall mentioning on here that my mother had to assign positions like this when she was working as a manager in the Post Office... 3800 workers and they had at least 25 that were assigned to walk the halls and find blemishes or uneven spots on dry wall, then check it off on a list and turn it in to maint. dept. Every day 40 hours a week... also part of a union negotiation for allowing BCS and OCR machines to be installed at the main GMF...

add a few cents to your stamps for that brilliant move...

Divide Et Impera

Sounds like the pranks we'd pull on noobs in the military:

-Order them to go get a bottle of bulkhead remover
-Order them to go get a can of dehydrated water

There were others that escape me right now....

justAndy

HUH????????
At the height of the robber baron era things were HORRIBLE for the blue collar worker.
Can you say Pinkertons?
Henry Ford?
Only by fighting the robber barons was the increase in disposable income and liesure time actually realized.
Since 1968 the NeoBarons have been taking the gains of the American working class been taken back.

Chaz

I disagree. I know that is the popular view but I think it is mostly a myth.

Only through capitalism and competition was the increases in wages and reduction of prices possible. Only then could people afford to focus on leisure time over things like eating for survival.

I am not saying this because I want to go back. As I have said before it is important that we move ahead but in the right way.

LoyaltyisaCurse

__________________
"Going from the Raiders receivers to Larry Fitzgerald is like trading a Spam dinner for a well-aged T-bone steak." --Dan Hanzus

When I play rock, paper, scissors, I keep a glass of water in my hand and when my opponent throws down I throw the water in his face and say "Water". Beats all three, scissors can't cut-it, paper dissolves and the rock sinks. Plus it usually surprises the hell out of them.

Chaz

You can't generate lower prices and higher wages without increases in productivity.
Government can't create that. It is not possible no matter how many laws they pass.

Only capitalism (private ownership) and competiton can create that.

Dback Jon

Myth? Tell that to the people that built railroad cars in Chicago......


Unbridled capitalism, with no regulation is unhealthy and untenable in a democracy - that is a FACT that can not be denied by anyone with a realistic grasp of history.

__________________



R.I.P Tim Minnick

The KING of Cards

Chaz

Most railroads were highly subidized with government grants.

That is not capitalism. That is cronyism.