Subject:
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Re: Property Rights are the foundation of freedom
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 30 Apr 2003 15:01:09 GMT
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Viewed:
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272 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Scott Arthur writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> > so opines Khaled Saffuri, saying "For Iraq to be free, property must belong
> > to its people.", in a editorial column in today's USA Today.
> >
> > http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2003-04-29-opcom_x.htm
> >
> > This view is also held by Hernando de Soto, and by me... quoting:
>
> Do you extend that to intellectual property? The evidence suggests otherwise.
>
> >
> > - start -
> >
> > Iraq is not the only country hampered by a lack of property rights. Hernando
> > de Soto, author of The Mystery of Capital and head of the Institute for
> > Liberty and Democracy in Peru, says: "The principal reason for the failure
> > of capitalism to gain a stable foothold in most of the developing world is
> > that nations have tried to modernize their economies without putting into
> > place the foundation stone of capitalism — a comprehensive and inclusive
> > property system."
>
> I would have thought that "The principal reason for the failure of capitalism
> to gain a stable foothold in most of the developing world" is the tendency for
> "capitalists" to exploit the lack of freedom and social provision in these
> countries. When I look at Iraq, I see an absolute tragedy that the “west” is
> largely responsible for; when others look at Iraq they see only its oil. When I
> look at the developing world I see a need for education and empowerment; when
> others look at the developing world they see cheap labour, exploitable natural
> resources and a lack of environmental regulation.
>
> What use are “property rights” when one cannot even earn enough to feed ones
> own family
And so there goes the myth presented by the anti-capitalists, these big fat
cat tycoons light their cigars with $100 bills while their employees all
slave away in sweat shops. Poor economic conditions in Iraq are the fault
of the west? This is the worst example of blame America first thinking that
I have ever heard. When you look at Iraq and only see oil, you look at it
precisely like Sadam looked at it, and so he completely confiscated all the
oil fields and put them under government control, basically funneling their
entire economy through him, and his corrupt cronies.
Third world countries remain in poverty simply because they do not implement
capitalism. Look at all the current examples, show me one country where
government runs the majority of industry that out performs a similar
capitalist country. Why does India out perform all it’s neighboring
countries? Why does Japan, and Hong Kong per capita out perform mainland
China? It is precisely because of capitalism.
As for your assertion about exploitation, bear in mind there are two worlds,
the way things should be and the way things are. Let’s use Nike as an
example, as anti-capitalists everywhere seem to revel in tearing them down.
First off why does a company like Nike move it’s manufacturing out of the
US? Well that’s easy because they know that minimum wage laws cut deeply
into profit, so they look to under-developed countries like Indonesia for
inexpensive labor. They do not enter villages with guns forcing these people
to work, there is no overseer with a whip beating them if their performance
is sub par. They simply build a factory, and offer what they believe is a
fair wage for that part of the world, in many cases locals find the wages
sufficient, and sometimes generous, so they come to work for the plant. If
they could improve their situation by making more money working somewhere
else, I am sure they would. If Nike says I offer you $10 a day to make shoes
in a difficult working environment, and someone agrees to it, how is that
exploitation? Who is exploited?
Here is finally an issue where I agree with Larry, all governments, US and
otherwise should uninvolved themselves in business as much as possible,
while still enforcing laws against corrupt business practices. That would
solve many of the economic woes of many third world nations.
Scott
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