Freedom from hard working is not a freedom that we need.
Oh yes, that is something we really need.
The hardest thing to understand about economy is exactly that the fact that corporations are totalitarian institutions doesn't matter.
Sig-worthy.
You are making a serious accusation without anything to back up. Do you have an argument that Adam Smith or Milton Friedman would "go for populist programs", or are you just imagining it?
Anybody who lumps Adam Smith and Milton Friedman together must have:
a) not read both nor any of them
b) not understood both nor any of them
c) both a and b
American liberalism is the opposite of classical liberalism.
No it isn't.
It was an extension, but being an extension does not necessarily suggest they are still similar.
Yes it does.
I'm sure a lot of socialists would argue Stalinism is completely different from Marxism, won't they?
Of course. But that is not very relevant.
It will go comfy with the straight jacket.
Smith and Friedman were politicians?
Only uncle Milt. Adam Smith was quite a competent philosopher, and judging from his work and life he would have been quite horrified by the Chicago boys.
Compassion and collective support does not necessarily lead to laziness.
Of course not.
It is the reactionaires endless compassion for the rich that makes them (the rich) idle.
This is the usual libertarian fallacy: contractual agreements are always supposedly consensual and voluntary no matter how vast the disparity of wealth and power between the two enacting sides in the agreement. An unregulated property regime privileges the few to the degree that its irrelevant whether contractual agreements are functionally voluntary because the rabble will work for them no matter what and accept diminishing wages and nonexistent work security.
Yes indeed.
Except that they have no right to call themselves libertarians, but this has been addressed many times before.
I suggest propretarians or my own invention walletarians.
Well, no. The democrats (at least in theory) support public intervention in markets for the benefit of the working class, the republicans do so to support the privileged and big business at the expense of the working class.
Do they? I was under the impression that they were pretty much pro-business in theory
also. Didn't even Dennis Kucinich the most decent of the whole lot, want to "save capitalism"?
The libertarian solution, lets be pretend that the working class and business are really equal is more favourite of big business, because the workers and the people who fire them, are not equal.
That is evident. But most capitalis are way to smart to take those mock-libertarians seriously, they know how important the government and the state is for keeping up their privilegies.
Such welfare programs tend to entitle capitalists more than the recipients. The medical business makes big (and largely unnecessary) profits from necessary social services.
I know I sound like a broken record, but everybody interested in this should check out the "conservative nanny state" in my sig.
We in Europe and you Americans are privileged with democratic government.
To a certain degree at least.
Milton Friedman was a late 20th century intellectual so hes not what I was referring to. Adam on the other hand, advocates various social democratic programs, including public education and pro-labour policies.
Adam Smith, well-known moral philosopher, wanted a society based on equality. He claimed that basic tenets of human character embraced such as sympathy, solidarity,
the right to control one's work.
It is true that he was a protagonist of the free market, but this must be seen in its historical context. I would probably done the same myself if I had lived in his time.
No, i tell you what, you are both wrong to claim such things, and it's both of you that downgrade discussion on politics with such statements, Mr. waffle.
That probably means that I should be quiet about my high opinion of Soviet psychiatry...
I expect more examplary behaviour from a 43-year old on a forum where 13-year olds are reading it too. Show you are a good man, set an example.
Good thing
I turn 44 on Sunday then.
Exactly! I'm sorry but from a non-USA view, these gaffes and ways of smearing opponents seem incredibly...silly.
Yep. Kindergarten politics.
Or should we start filiming the next episode of "when liberals attack'?
