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Subject: 
Re: It's All About Control (was: Re: Possession)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Tue, 24 Jun 2003 19:29:30 GMT
Viewed: 
572 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, John Neal wrote:

   I disagree. Most important advances in science, computers, and technology are being made by large corporations. They are engine of advancement, which does elevate the standard of living for everyone.

Do you have a cite for that? Quantity of patents is not necessarily a metric for quality of scientific innovation. I would say rather that a lot of important advancements and developments (things like the Palm) are made by people who leave large corps and start their own outfits (perhaps funded by VC or by the large corps).

Further, it’s the small businesses, even in the uneven field they have to compete on, that are the engines of growth in this country, not the oligopolies...

  
   I’m not worried about morality and ethics, just basic fairness. You’ve set up a straw man and ignored the real issue, John -- as usual. There is more to economics and politics than is dreamt of in your philosophy.

What is “fair”?

I don’t know what fair is, but I know what “unfair” is... giant corps lobbying for laws that they then use against their competitors. That’s unfair. WalMart (for example) does have a track record of using zoning (for example) against competitors where it’s convenient, and trampling the law where it’s inconvenient.

(now, Halliburton and Bechtel, on the other hand... why... they’re perfect! Nary a blemish on their records)

++Lar



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: It's All About Control (was: Re: Possession)
 
(...) Disagree. They compete with each other (Although I do recognize that there are some industries that need to be regulated for the common good). (...) You are being nostalgic. Mom and Pop were inefficient. Walmart brought more variety, more (...) (21 years ago, 24-Jun-03, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)

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