You and John Mackey’s (Whole Foods CEO) organization connected yet?

check it: http://flowidealism.com

And just stumbled upon this Ayn Rand CLASSIC YouTube video from 1959 as I was writing my PhilosophersNotes on Fountainhead.

me thinks you’ll dig it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ukJiBZ8_4k

As you said, the intellectuals don’t get America.

Keep on shining the light. Stoked I found you.

-bri

Government can actively foster monopoly, or government inaction can allow monopoly to evolve. One can see this on every continent on the planet. Except maybe Antarctica, where every major government in the world is grubbing for a piece of the action and potential resources.

The analogy is that Microsoft, through anticompetitive and in many cases illegal business practices, has so dominated the operating system market that it has actually become a de facto governing entity in the technology market: nothing works on the computer without it for about 85% of the consumer and business PC market. Hence, my analogy likening Microsoft to the city government in Randy’s example.

You can’t have FAIR competition without regulation. You can have “Chicago Rules” competition: ever heard of Al Capone?

I hope that clarifies my comments.

(according to the movie) California could have taken over the plants and avoid the mess and probably put Enron out of business, but the Federal Government didn’t allow it to happen, some fed org FERC, go figure what THEY are supposed to be doing.

So, you always have to look at the big picture, and all the players involved, in a totally FREE market, the consumer is always the boss, so if MSFT would’ve blocked other websites, in my opinion it would not taken long for consumers to stop using Windows, because we want full access, and we would not tolerate these blockages, don’t you think this would’ve kept MSFT on their toes from making such idiotic moves?…

RG keep it up, great site and great articles,

-Lou

You seem to argue against Randy’s point, but you are actually supporting his point and not even realizing it.

You wrote:
Now, let’s say the City of Chicago had a vested interest in Tony Robbins, so they decided to throw in a free venue, parking and advertising. Any vendor – including advertising entities and outlets – who does business with Chicago but chooses to do business with Randy Gage is punished in their future dealings with the City. And then Tony steals content from your CD and incorporates it into his offering, which he gives away for free.

So it is the Government’s involvement that would create a “Monopoly” for Tony Robbins, not the Free Market. and that is what Randy is saying that the only way to have a monopoly is through Gov’t involvement.

Think about it.

Amazing blog, as always, thanks for being such an inspiration and example.

Iceburner, your math is wrong. 200million people, at $500k per person is NOT 1 trillion. It’s 100 trillion. Small difference, I know, but only about 6 1/2 times the size of our entire national economy.

Bones, you crack me up. I’ve thought in the past (in my naive youth), why doesn’t Gates just buy United Airlines for pocket change (when they were in the crapper…oh, wait, they still are)? My answer is, who in their right mind would blow their hard-earned fortune on a nightmare like that?

Same with the auto companies. Who in the world, having earned a fortune, would risk $3B to buy a nightmare like that and then have to deal with the UAW? Those guys know better, that’s why they’re staying out of it (as far as we know). The guys at the C Level of the auto companies got their, not through innovation and management savvy, but through politics and croni-ism. That’s why they’re going out of business. The heads just…aren’t…that…smart.

Our “government” isn’t in charge or, nor do they have the power to do ANYTHING about our economy…until our un-elected board of directors at our Central Bank (ie the Federal Reserve) tell them what to do.

For an in depth explanation read “The Unseen Hand”

It pains me when people/Americans spend valuable time and energy on that which THEY want you to be focused on…and not the real issue…who THEY are and how THEY operate.

“For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there’s one hacking at the root.” HDT

PS There was/is nothing “laissez-faire” about how Milton Friedman’s policies have been implemented around the world…unless you consider butchering dissenting humans “hands-off.” Ever wonder where the term Economic Hitman came from? Yup, you guessed, the idea of spreading capitalism around the globe.

I’m sorry, did I get off topic?

Imagine giving $500,000 to every US citizen residing in the US over the age of 18. Approximately 200 million people let’s say. That one Trillion dollars is actually $650 billion because everyone will be in the 35% tax bracket. Ever married couple will still have approximately $650,000 to buy down/pay off their mortgage, elimiate credit card debt and still take a cruise.

It will not happen because the credit TAX you now pay would dry up. The red herring that many would spend it frivilously or unwisely… what are they doing now? I suspect had they done the ‘bailout’ this way the money would end up in the same place it’s going now but many, many people would never be able to say they didn’t have a chance to make it all come true….

WAKE up. You have that opportunity right now. Cut the cord to your TV and scrap watching the news for just 30 days and go to work.

On you.
On your dreams.
On your future.

Good luck.

Pure Capitalism is IMPOSSIBLE people.

Just go look at the definitions and the ideal.

IMPOSSIBLE.

Just like communism is.

They both sound good, look good on paper, but as Gage likes to say “That Dog don’t hunt”.

“But we’ve never tried REAL Capitalism” you say: “If we did, it would WORK! It would be Utopia”

That’s what they say about Communism: “But we’ve never tried REAL Communism- If we did, it would WORK! It would be Utopia”

And for the “exam” example- capitalism would say that only the person with the HIGHEST grade would pass, and the rest would have to fail. Is that a great solution?

I get it everyone- you’re all scared because when FEAR knocks, logic leaves.

So then, let’s see… you’re scared when they implement some “socialistic” solutions, and yet, it’s the “capitalistic” ones that got us here to begin with, so….. where’s YOUR big solution?

Bail ‘em out? Maybe- but THEN WHAT??
Let ‘em crash? Maybe- but THEN WHAT??

And that’s the big question- THEN WHAT?

It’s easy to say that “Capitalism says we let ‘em crash”, but it’s not easy to say “Millions of people will be out of work in one day”, is it?

So- I heard a Nutso solution- but one that makes some sense to me- instead of bailing them out with 36 Billion (or did I hear they want 60 Billion now?), why not BUY ALL OF GM for what the shares are now-

3 Billion.

That’s right- bail them out for 32 Billion, or BUY THEM OUT for 3?

Thoughts?