04-03-2005, 05:09 AM
The spark has set aflame. I repeat: the spark has set aflame!
40 hours a week, short? What world do you live in?
Oooh! BOW DOWN TO THE SERVICE SECTOR! NO BENEFITS, LOWER WAGES AND JOB INSECURITY!
Competition is about what consumers want. The fact is, most consumers WANT to buy American made products, but can't because they've been pushed to the brink of extinction and to the very limit of affordability by cheaper products made outsourced. And why are outsourced products cheaper? Because countries like China have no minimum wages, no overtime regulations (this is where the 40 hour workweek comes from), and no business legislation. In fact, Anti-Wisemon, it sounds like the sort of place you'd LOVE! Why don't you move there?
Microsoft actually owns a substantial voting share of Apple. Which reenforces my statement about monopolies. Yes, Linux is providing competition, its desktop market share is 6%. Wow, 6%. And I'm a diehard Linux user, running Firefox right this second.
I don't ignore your example, but the fact is monopolies are bad no matter how cheap they make things, because they can: 1.Treat their workers however they like, and 2. Treat the markets however they like. If Philidelphia Steel had wanted to they could have jacked up prices however much they like.
Another thing we should do: Ban any form of "hard" lobbying, ie: campaign contributions, party funding, that sort of thing. Lobbying should be reduced to letter-writing campaigns and maybe a speech or two if Congress happens to take special interest. Not the bullshit it is today where corporations can pretty much buy politicians. Campaigns should have limits on the amount any individual entity can contribute, and it should be a fairly low ceiling. Perhaps even a law saying that X% of campaign funding cannot come from the same source?
40 hours a week, short? What world do you live in?
Oooh! BOW DOWN TO THE SERVICE SECTOR! NO BENEFITS, LOWER WAGES AND JOB INSECURITY!
Competition is about what consumers want. The fact is, most consumers WANT to buy American made products, but can't because they've been pushed to the brink of extinction and to the very limit of affordability by cheaper products made outsourced. And why are outsourced products cheaper? Because countries like China have no minimum wages, no overtime regulations (this is where the 40 hour workweek comes from), and no business legislation. In fact, Anti-Wisemon, it sounds like the sort of place you'd LOVE! Why don't you move there?
Microsoft actually owns a substantial voting share of Apple. Which reenforces my statement about monopolies. Yes, Linux is providing competition, its desktop market share is 6%. Wow, 6%. And I'm a diehard Linux user, running Firefox right this second.
I don't ignore your example, but the fact is monopolies are bad no matter how cheap they make things, because they can: 1.Treat their workers however they like, and 2. Treat the markets however they like. If Philidelphia Steel had wanted to they could have jacked up prices however much they like.
Another thing we should do: Ban any form of "hard" lobbying, ie: campaign contributions, party funding, that sort of thing. Lobbying should be reduced to letter-writing campaigns and maybe a speech or two if Congress happens to take special interest. Not the bullshit it is today where corporations can pretty much buy politicians. Campaigns should have limits on the amount any individual entity can contribute, and it should be a fairly low ceiling. Perhaps even a law saying that X% of campaign funding cannot come from the same source?