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>If I choose to buy goods from you, it's because I value the goods more than the money I pay, and you value the money I pay more than the goods. Uh... No? If I
by pikzen 10y ago
>If I choose to buy goods from you, it's because I value the goods more than the money I pay, and you value the money I pay more than the goods.
Uh... No? If I pay you, it's because you have something I need. I'm not giving you that money because I think it has less worth than what you're giving me in exchange, I'm doing it because that's the price.
As far as UK unemployment goes, a huge part of that low percentage is due to zero hours jobs. Just because people are not registered as seeking a job doesn't mean they're better off. It's exact same scheme as Germany, and while unemployment goes down, the percentage of people with a job yet under the poverty line grows almost proportionally.
- simonh 10y ago>Uh... No? If I pay you, it's because you have something I need. So you value it more. It has more utility to you. You are better off with it than with the money.
- Chris2048 10y agoUnless it is tied into some kind of mandatory tax, or government subsidy.
- bdhess 10y agoI find utility in staying out of jail, so I pay my mandatory taxes.
- Chris2048 10y agoExactly :-) If the government can "manufacture" utility like this, it isn't utility.
- simonh 10y agoTherefore government services have no value? Driven or been driven on any roads lately? Bought any goods transported on public infrastructure? Etc. I'm lost. I've no idea what you're really arguing at this point.
- Chris2048 10y agoI don't think I argued that. Perhaps that's why you're confused.
- bdhess 10y agoThat's not at all true. In a democracy, "the government" is a reflection of the will of society, however imperfectly expressed. Paying taxes is as social obligation with known consequences for failure to comply (in this case, the threat of confinement). As a parallel example, perhaps I have a housemate who gets upset when he finds dirty dishes in the sink. So I take care to clean dishes when I use them-- perhaps not because I particularly care if there are dirty dishes in the sink, but because it upsets my housemate. Again, to prevent myself from accruing the negative utility that comes from failing to meet a social obligation.
- gech 10y agoPayment level is coerced. I'd pay less for everything, I don't have the ability to negotiate price like bigger players do.
- pikzen 10y agoExcept I didn't start with money. I'm not working to get money, I'm working to be able to afford things. Money is just a convenient exchange tool. It doesn't have any utility to me aside from being pretty much the only way to trade. It has the exact same utility to me. Unless somebody is running an operation to get total control of what I'm looking to buy, I'm pretty guaranteed to be able to get it if I have the money. It is nothing more than an convenient way of exchange