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  • February 16, 2018 at 12:25 am
    epilitimus

    He seems to be unaware of the politicians #1 rule: Never, ever, ever, under any circumstances tell the truth.

    Of course progs do suffer from arrogance so that might be it.

    • February 16, 2018 at 9:09 am
      eon

      For the last century their refrain has been, “We’re remaking the world the way we want it to be, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us”.

      It was once said that the USSR would be at its most dangerous when its leaders came to believe that they were invincible. At that point, they would do something that was logically unsupportable based solely on their dogmas. That “Come to Marx” moment was in 1979-90, and it was called Afghanistan.

      The Western progressive movement’s “We Are The Champions” moment came with the creation of the European Union, followed by the election of The Self-Exalted One as POTUS. If Hillary had won the last election, they would have believed their Triumph was not only inevitable, but imminent. With results best described by either George Orwell or Guy de Maupassant. (Imagine a society ruled by both Big Brother and le Horla</em.)

      As it is, they're in "double down" mode, now. It's really all they know.

      clear ether

      eon

    • February 16, 2018 at 8:47 pm
      Deplorable B Woodman

      It’s called “hubris”.

  • February 16, 2018 at 1:04 am

    Then the question poses itself, in “real capitalism”, would minimizing production costs, by whatever means, not justify the profits? At what point did we lose “PATRIOTS” for the sake of pure capitalism?

    • February 16, 2018 at 1:06 am

      Looking at my post, there are a comma or two that don’t need to be there. We need an edit function.

    • February 16, 2018 at 4:04 pm
      gruundehn

      Pure capitalism has competition. If one company mistreats its workers, another will step up and hire the best of the disgruntled workers and make more money because of less non-pay overhead such as poor productivity and perhaps sabotage.

  • February 16, 2018 at 1:06 am
    Polly Cy

    I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  • February 16, 2018 at 1:21 am

    Toly should take that book deal and listen to his wife.

    The pure capitalist teachings (I almost said preachings which wouldn’t be wrong) of the son of pure capitalist Hungarian immigrant merchants made me the libertarian/conservative convert of the 80’s that I am today.

    Well, him and the pure heart and brilliance of a former actor. But anyone who has never read Friedman’s 1989 open letter to William Bennet, should. Guaranteed to change you.

    • February 16, 2018 at 6:54 am
      Browncoat
      • February 16, 2018 at 9:21 am
        eon

        The only problem with Friedman’s position (which I generally agree with) is that the ruling elite’ would still demand illegal drugs, even if somebody had to invent them (as they did with “designer drugs”).

        They see themselves as “romantic rebels struggling valiantly against the evil, repressive society”. They couldn’t really maintain that hip, post-modern self-image if what they were getting fucked up on was freely available at any convenience store.

        Among other things, it would also be freely available not just to the underclass they see as their “foot soldiers”. but to the “bourgeoisie” they hate, i.e. everybody else. And that last bit just cannot be tolerated, in their minds. “Where’s our privilege?” is their refrain.

        (NB: Think of it; “privileged rebels”. Now there’s a contradiction in terms for you.)

        The only thing more impractical than prohibitions is expecting the “enlightened ones” to settle for victory. There’s always One More Thing they need to fulfill their dreams of superiority.

        And it has to be illegal so they can flaunt it, and their “privilege” and “rebellion”, in society’s face.

        clear ether

        eon

      • February 16, 2018 at 12:03 pm

        Can’t disagree with any of that as to self-appointed aristocrats’ obsession with unique privilege (as if there was such a thing; their worshippers and sycophants will always mimic them; where’s their uniqueness then?).

        Not our problem, let them flout the laws of man and nature as they will, hopefully leading to the demise of both of those demographics.

        But infringing our own freedoms to assuage their sick want and needs? That is just as counter-productive and harmful to our own liberty and survival as their other obsession; seeking to remove our Constitutional capability to resist becoming their subjects.

        Did Friedman advocate a drugged-out society? Of course not. What he knew is that freedom is freedom, exceptions in this case don’t prove the rule but destroy it…which the WOD has largely done with its 180-degree counterintuitive and counterproductive results. The WOG, which will get another blood-dancing talking point by recent events very near me, will complete that process if we allow it to.

  • February 16, 2018 at 1:57 am
    NotYetInACamp

    I am thinking that the greatest expense in our allegedly supposedly current capitalist system is the massive cut / profit that is ensured fror those carrying the king’s patents (monopolies / oligopolies). Some trimming from the branches of the liberty tree might be in order to ensure further national heaqlth. An Eezy Peasy Beezee Bezo trim is looking better every day. he who lives by the government favor takes that next step also.

    JTC. I am of the Magyar tribe. Two grandparents born there. One, for sure, goes back in the same place almost to the time of the turning catholic of the nation.

    The struggle for freedom and fairness is never ending. There are always those who want an ensured victory by tyranny, like the European Commission and Bezos. Soros I will not discuss now.

  • February 16, 2018 at 2:01 am
    NotYetInACamp

    I am hearing more critical complaints about DACA and others who crash the line that so many lived through to become USA citizens, by those that waited through that line and followed the law. I heard the same before the election by the many naturalized citizens that I know. Something to note.

  • February 16, 2018 at 4:07 am
    Kafiroon

    Denninger at Market Ticker frequently rips off on these guys and the govt, especially health care robing us blind. Actually I found that site from here a number of months ago.

  • February 16, 2018 at 4:52 am
    pyrodice

    He should go through one of those Friedman books, for sure…

  • February 16, 2018 at 6:33 am
    the frumious bandersnatch

    Ayn Rand was a capitalist; ergo, in favor of freedom. Friedrich Hayek was a capitalist. Milton Friedman lost me at “negative income tax.” Capitalists question why taxes exist at all and figure out more innovative ways to fund the essential functions of government – which consist solely of protecting us against force and fraud. Taxation is accomplished by the initiation of the use of force, which is immoral. If we don’t start fighting the collectivists of all stripes on the grounds of morality, we will never be free of their depredations.

    • February 16, 2018 at 9:40 am
      eon

      The only tax the original United States had was tariffs on various items of commerce. And it nearly caused our first civil war, the now-largely-forgotten Whisky Rebellion. If not for a man named Albert Gallatin, who talked a lot of irate farmers out of marching on the then-capital (Philadelphia), George Washington might have ended up as a footnote in American history. (See The Probability Broachby L. Neil Smith.)

      Jefferson only wanted tariffs on imports, to encourage domestic industry. You may notice that globalists like Bezos, who like to put their factories where they can get cheap labor (if not slave labor, AhemRedCoughChina), don’t like tariffs. “Free trade” is largely a sham they support to promote their own power and wealth.

      Seen in this light, their demands for “open borders”, “free movement”, and “a borderless world” make perfect sense. They want cheap workers and they want voters who will make sure their side wins in every election.

      Just don’t mistake them for capitalists. They’re syndicalist socialists, counting on government to protect them from actual competition, often with “junk science”. “I’m allowed to make expensive CFL light bulbs in Red China, you’re not allowed to make cheap incandescents anywhere. I win.”

      We’re seeing a rebirth of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, except this time run from Beijing with the full approval of everybody in Washington, London and Brussels except the present POTUS.

      This time around, the oligarchs who anticipate ruling the world aren’t in the Japanese zaibatsu, they’re in the Forbidden City- and the boardrooms of Amazon, GE, and etc.

      And as was said of the last iteration, only those inside the club get the “Prosperity”. Everybody else gets the “Co”.

      clear ether

      eon

      • February 16, 2018 at 11:34 am

        TL;DR of that:

        “worker/voters” and “syndicated socialism”.

        ‘s beautiful, man.

  • February 16, 2018 at 7:16 am
    clayusmcret

    The correct term is illegal aliens. And businesses who employ them should be avoided whatever the cost. Literally.

    • February 16, 2018 at 4:55 pm
      armedandsafe

      Illegal alien = International criminal

  • February 16, 2018 at 8:57 am
    Bill G

    Another part of capitalism gone wrong is the phony, er, crony capitalism arranged by our congresscritters.

    • February 16, 2018 at 9:45 am
      eon

      As I said above, it’s syndicalist socialism. “Crony capitalism” is just a term created to deflect the blame away from the politicians, in and out of government, who seek to profit both financially and politically.

      It’s as much Benito Mussolini as Coal Oil Johnny Rockefeller. Maybe even more il Duce, in fact.

      clear ether

      eon

    • February 16, 2018 at 4:06 pm
      gruundehn

      It isn’t crony capitalism but crony government. Put the blame where it belongs.

  • February 16, 2018 at 11:59 am
    Pamela

    I wonder how Jeff would feel or think if instead of us lowly little people were to use amazon as a search engine for products and bought said products somewhere else.

    • February 16, 2018 at 2:15 pm

      It’s a lovely reversal of “showrooming”, the practice that has gone on for years, by which shoppers get the advantage of in-person inspection of products and benefit from knowledge/advice of in-person merchants (ask me how I know about people who would pick my brain about guns/jewelry/coins and finger my merchandise in order to refine their online search and make their ultimate purchase).

      Now as you say, online information is so detailed and so available that the worm has turned at least for those meatspace sellers who grok the meaning of the adage “adapt or die”. Many consumers (myself included) want to complete a transaction then and there, whether through well-founded mistrust of cyber options or pure impatience. Taking your best (legitimate) online options to a local brick-and-mortar store gives them the opportunity to meet it, or as Spin says downthread at least close enough to justify the advantages.

      Case in point: A few weeks ago Wifey wanted new sofas for the family room (rather than a sofa/loveseat arrangement). The Ashley Furniture pieces she wanted were listed in the local store at 1100.00 each, on sale at 850.00 so a total of 1700 plus 150.00 delivery/setup and 150.00 for a protection plan (one of the rare instances where aftermarket insurance is worthwhile, what with her two dogs, three cats, and my fat ass what she terms as “wallerin'” on them.

      So an online merchant had the same ones at 655.00. So 1310.00 and with free shipping (but not free setup, they unload in the driveway and unpacking them and muling them into the house would be on me…not something I relished with an old and imperfect back. But it was also with the protection plan for free and no sales tax as the seller is outside FL. That made for a really big bottom line difference.

      So, all-in the local was at 2150.00, online at 1310. BIG difference. So we printed out the online “shopping cart” and took it to the store. They met the 655.00 unit price without quibbling and with a little prodding provided the protection plan for free, bringing them to 1569.50, as obviously they have no control over sales tax. Factor in that online delivery was 3-4 weeks, the store’s protection plan is administered by a local contractor rather than some online contact, the things would be delivered and very professionally unpacked, assembled, put in place (after moving the old ones out to the garage for donation) in TWO DAYS, and that was 269 extra bucks well-spent for us. Use this method, it works and benefits all concerned (except of course the online folks).

      Geez, how does even a simple anecdote morph into a whole damn book for me? :[

      • February 16, 2018 at 2:18 pm

        Forgot to mention this reverse showrooming practice has been termed “webrooming”. I like it.

      • February 17, 2018 at 1:14 am
        NotYetInACamp

        Wise.

        And good for the community.

        They profit, but at a lesser margin. they may have overhead problems without enough sales, but they add towards either their break even point, or towards their profit actually realized should they pass the break even point. Either way, the sale is better for the merchant in town. And if he was selling moichandize out of inventory. Such a deal. Such a day.

    • February 17, 2018 at 6:32 am
      pyrodice

      You CAN do that… Once you know the name of what you want, dig around for it on google and such…

  • February 16, 2018 at 12:42 pm
    Spin Drift

    Pamela, that’s what I do. source info from the intertubbie and try to find local. The locals will negotiate on price with your market information allowing an informed purchase. even if higher than total cost from the intertubbies, if it is still close the buy decision goes local.

    As to today’s ‘toon. You can take the agent out of Mossad but you can’t take the Mossad out of the agent. Jeffie and his ilk may want to really think on that.

    Spin
    As to Amazon, maybe they should rethink their Prime Directive.

    • February 16, 2018 at 2:07 pm
      Pamela

      I’m seeing a some Borg attributes with what Jeff is doing.
      Prepare to be assimilated

  • February 16, 2018 at 9:00 pm
    Deplorable B Woodman

    How does the Wally World online service compare to Bozo’s?

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