The Conundrum of Any Free People

[klein]

Well, maybe you missed the point, of brownbagger ?

Isn't he talking about equality ?
Unlike some socialities, where you have plenty of rich, but also plenty of poor.

Maybe, I missed his point then ?
No biggie.

 

[Lue C Fur]

I read this twice and still couldn't find where it has damn thing to do with this thread.

As ive said before...you need to drink a 6 pack first and then read Kleins post...then you will be in his world and understand.

 

[hubrat]

 

[trplnkl]

Well, maybe you missed the point, of brownbagger ?

Isn't he talking about equality ?
Unlike some socialities, where you have plenty of rich, but also plenty of poor.

Maybe, I missed his point then ?
No biggie.

So you are saying there are no rich or poor people in Denmark thus being a state of equality?

 

[Nimnim]

So you are saying there are no rich or poor people in Denmark thus being a state of equality?

I hate to be completely off topic, but for some reason this post made me crave french fries. Ingore this and please continue with the "spirited" debate.

 

[trplnkl]

I hate to be completely off topic, but for some reason this post made me crave french fries. Ingore this and please continue with the "spirited" debate.

What" What? Ignore this? No way. the term "crave french fires" forces a reply. Are you pregnant ? LOL
When my Ex was pregnant with our first child she craved McDonald FFs. I can't count the number of times I had to get out of bed in the middle of the night to go McDs for a couple of orders.

 

[wkmac]

There are several threads this piece could fit or it could be the subject of it's own but the title of this thread IMO fit better as to the subject matter.

Ruin of the Small Store Owner

 

[curiousbrain]

There are several threads this piece could fit or it could be the subject of it's own but the title of this thread IMO fit better as to the subject matter.

Ruin of the Small Store Owner

Good read.

But even the unencumbered small owner is today the prey of hostile forces which are destroying him; he has to sell the produce of his labor in a market of which he knows hardly anything compared with what is known by the large operator; he has therefore, on occasion, to sell suddenly at a ruinous loss.

I am by no means a savvy investor, but have on occasion engaged in various transactions, and the spirit of this quote is emphatically true. The large businesses out there have so much more raw information and human processing power, if you will, that the individual is severely handicapped - and that is not to say it is limited to stock/bond/etc transactions; from my own vantage point, I've worked for several small, local businesses and they too have this problem. A large business a hundred miles away can/will/does steal their business because they can undercut local prices and still maintain profitability. There is a case to be made that certain people will always pay for a local artisan, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

As I believe you and I have discussed before, and in the spirit of conundrums, perhaps this is how capitalism evolves over time though - the extinction of the small because of the large. Not saying that that is how it is, but just speculating.

For the transport of his produce to the consumer he is dependent upon great organizations over which he has no control and with whom whatever contract he makes is one heavily weighted against him.

I think the internet can/may help with this sort of transport problem, relative to information services and what not, but even there, there is probably still considerable overhead.

Another force hostile to his survival is that the cost of novel and more efficient instruments of production sometimes the actual instrument of production, the machine to be used is a much larger unit than the old-fashioned one; it costs more than a small owner can afford.

The dark side of technological innovation; maybe the consumer benefits in the long/short run from innovations such as these, but alas the small business owner does not in the short term.

 

[wkmac]

Brown,

You might enjoy more of the reading at "The Distributist Review" which is where the article you read came from. Also another website, "FrontPorchRepublic" you may find equally interesting on some level. One of my favorite reads at FPR is Bill Kauffman who also writes fairly regular for The American Conservative magazine. He's a wide ranging character with a many flavored appeal and always thought provoking. Another fav at FRP is Jacksonville State political science professor Jeff Taylor but for whatever sad reason, he's not as published as others. If you liked the localism of the Small Shop Keeper piece, you'll find much to like at FRP.

Patrick Deneen back in 2009' wrote a piece for FRP entitled, "A Republic of Front Porches" and again I think you'll find points worthwhile to consider as you ponder those greater questions we all ask and search answers for.

 

[wkmac]

I am by no means a savvy investor, but have on occasion engaged in various transactions, and the spirit of this quote is emphatically true. The large businesses out there have so much more raw information and human processing power, if you will, that the individual is severely handicapped - and that is not to say it is limited to stock/bond/etc transactions; from my own vantage point, I've worked for several small, local businesses and they too have this problem. A large business a hundred miles away can/will/does steal their business because they can undercut local prices and still maintain profitability. There is a case to be made that certain people will always pay for a local artisan, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

As I believe you and I have discussed before, and in the spirit of conundrums, perhaps this is how capitalism evolves over time though - the extinction of the small because of the large. Not saying that that is how it is, but just speculating.



I think the internet can/may help with this sort of transport problem, relative to information services and what not, but even there, there is probably still considerable overhead.



The dark side of technological innovation; maybe the consumer benefits in the long/short run from innovations such as these, but alas the small business owner does not in the short term.

Along the lines of what you said above among several points, the 2010' film, The Lightbulb Conspiracy might be some food for thought.

 

[bbsam]

What would you have if every conspiracy theory could be shown to be 100% true and in a disjointed and convoluted way they all meshed perfectly? Maybe boring reality? Maybe a conspiracy theory is just reality viewed from a 37 degree angle from the z-axis and rotated 21 degrees counter-clockwise on the x-axis and lifted 8 units along the y-axis. Hmmm.

 

[trplnkl]

What would you have if every conspiracy theory could be shown to be 100% true and in a disjointed and convoluted way they all meshed perfectly? Maybe boring reality? Maybe a conspiracy theory is just reality viewed from a 37 degree angle from the z-axis and rotated 21 degrees counter-clockwise on the x-axis and lifted 8 units along the y-axis. Hmmm.

Wouldn't that be a yroeht ycaripsnoc ???

 

[bbsam]

Wouldn't that be a yroeht ycaripsnoc ???

One man's religion is another man's yroeht ycaripsnoc.

 

[trplnkl]

One man's religion is another man's yroeht ycaripsnoc.

One man's dream is another man's nightmare.
One woman's Prince Charming is another woman's masochist.
One man's Princess is another man's harlot.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

One man's trash is another man's treasure.
One man's leftovers is another man's meal.

 

[Babagounj]

Record Breaking 67 Rounds of Golf And Obama Still Has a -17 Handicap…

 

[trplnkl]

Record Breaking 67 Rounds of Golf And Obama Still Has a -17 Handicap…

I could , but I wouldn't, play golf with him and I'm terrible. lol

 

[island1fox]

I see, and agree with, your point - on the level of individuals. However, in the more abstract sense of nations, I would argue that it is not that cut and dry - and person from a less advantaged country does not have the same guarantees of (to purposefully simplify it for brevity, not disrespect) "hard work translates to prosperity." A larger question, as well, is why there are advantaged and disadvantaged countries - is it because some countries work harder, or is it because of natural imbalances of things like resources, technology, and wealth?

The opportunity available to the individual citizen is, at least in this train of thought, a direct result of the benefits that the host country reaps from disadvantaging other countries.

Brownbaggin,

Disadvantaging other countries ??

Look at our country. We are one of the largest PURCHASERS of oil from OPEC. Why do the Arab royalty have gold toilets while most of the people live in poverty hating the west ?

Why do countries in Africa after "redistibuting" large white farms now have most of that farmland in waste and massive poverty ?

The beautiful carribean Islands with all the natural resources must have corporations from other countries build hotels and resorts rather than the people that have lived there for centuries.

Why in Mexico with all the Oil and other natural resources do people run to come up North because of no opportunity ,development or growth.

We can look all over the world where corrupt dictators enslave the people--countries that have vast resources -like our friend in Venezuela who lives like a King but most of the people in poverty.

The U.S . and other countries have given HAITI billions of dollars over many years--did you see the executive palace--while most of the people are starving.

Yet many people will say the U.S. has taken advantage of so many other countries while we have many of our young men and women BURIED around the world that have died giving other people freedom and the only land this "empire" has taken was to bury our dead !