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The implication that anything done to make money is automatically bad is completely false. The economic effects of "the invisible hand", whereby voluntary exch

by kbutler 10y ago

The implication that anything done to make money is automatically bad is completely false. The economic effects of "the invisible hand", whereby voluntary exchange yields benefits to both parties and provides an economic surplus, is a "win-win" whereby both parties are better off. This is not without possible negative effects ("negative externalities") but it is the most effective way to improve people's lives we've found so far. Remember that nature and natural selection works by a more damaging mechanism - "take what you can" - and yet still manages to produce beneficial results - though obviously not better for every individual or species.

tabeth 10y ago
I made no implication saying it's bad or good (if I unintentionally did, I explicitly state that it was not here). "You reap what you sow" is an idiom that simply says everything that happens to you is a result of your own actions. [1] It does have a religious context that has a more negative, connotation however. Also, as I showed in the sibling post, we've known about the negative effects of salvage logging for at least 20 years. We're still doing it, by the way. [2] Humanity will also "reap what it sows" in regards to our lack of action on regards to climate change. I intend to make no positive or negative claim. Simply stating the facts (I hope). [1] http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/You+reap+what+you+sow http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/You+reap+what+you+sow [2] https://www.google.com/search?q=salvage+logging&oq=salvage+logging&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.2238j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#tbs=qdr:m&q=salvage+logging+california https://www.google.com/search?q=salvage+logging&oq=salvage+l...
panglott 10y ago
Much of the economic history of economic exploitation has been "take what you can" rather than free exchange. It leads to the liquidation of a valuable long-term resource for a quick short-term gain. A fishery that would be worth many billions over centuries is liquidated for millions in a few years, for example. This is especially true in the US, where so many plants and animals did not live within a system of property. The American bison was saved only because one or two landowner had a sentimental attachment to a local herd and spared them from the carnage. The passenger pigeon was exterminated for cheap meat with industrial hunting methods. Markets create positive sum games, but this was just destruction. The opportunity cost of billions of American chestnuts producing valuable nuts and timber over the last century is incalculable.

by kbutler 10y ago

tabeth 10y ago

I made no implication saying it's bad or good (if I unintentionally did, I explicitly state that it was not here). "You reap what you sow" is an idiom that simply says everything that happens to you is a result of your own actions. [1] It does have a religious context that has a more negative, connotation however. Also, as I showed in the sibling post, we've known about the negative effects of salvage logging for at least 20 years. We're still doing it, by the way. [2] Humanity will also "reap what it sows" in regards to our lack of action on regards to climate change. I intend to make no positive or negative claim. Simply stating the facts (I hope). [1] http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/You+reap+what+you+sow http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/You+reap+what+you+sow [2] https://www.google.com/search?q=salvage+logging&oq=salvage+logging&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.2238j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#tbs=qdr:m&q=salvage+logging+california https://www.google.com/search?q=salvage+logging&oq=salvage+l...

panglott 10y ago

Much of the economic history of economic exploitation has been "take what you can" rather than free exchange. It leads to the liquidation of a valuable long-term resource for a quick short-term gain. A fishery that would be worth many billions over centuries is liquidated for millions in a few years, for example. This is especially true in the US, where so many plants and animals did not live within a system of property. The American bison was saved only because one or two landowner had a sentimental attachment to a local herd and spared them from the carnage. The passenger pigeon was exterminated for cheap meat with industrial hunting methods. Markets create positive sum games, but this was just destruction. The opportunity cost of billions of American chestnuts producing valuable nuts and timber over the last century is incalculable.