5 ms·

i agree! in fact, you know what would be a really efficient form of capitalism? what if we just eliminated wage regulation, and the marginal costs of workers

i agree! in fact, you know what would be a really efficient form of capitalism? what if we just eliminated wage regulation, and the marginal costs of workers to our business entirely, by making them slaves!

adventured 9y ago
> what if we just eliminated wage regulation, and the marginal costs of workers to our business entirely, by making them slaves! Your premise is incorrect and historically ignorant. Slaves are net more costly and drastically less efficient than free employees. George Washington, among numerous other slave owners of the time, for example wrote about that fact indepth. The net cost of workers skyrockets and their productivity implodes, in the case of slavery. Washington made the economic point that with slaves, he became entirely responsible for the cost of their existence, in all regards (shelter, food, health, etc), and their work output was at best on par with or below that of free labor (which is exactly what one would expect). As a system, slavery was a failure morally and economically.
- sharemywin 9y ago
  It's much more efficient to give them vc money and make them slaves to their own ambition.
- icantdrive55 9y ago
  Why enslave someone when they will happily take your crappy job? Drive for for Uber, temp work driving your vechicle for Amazon, writing/posting for Facebook, and even here--on Hacker News? (Hasen't made money, but the goodwill/potential must be staggering?) Let's face it, unless you have a very high barrier to entry profession, like brain surgeon, actually bad choice--I know one that happened to be in the resturant business, or one did until her resturant burned down, without property insurance I add.), or have family money to take risk; life in America is not great. I don't want to argue. I know some of you in tech are very happy right now. Let see what happens when letitgo, and buystufffromagayman--yea, it exists; I thought it was a tv parody, goes bankrupt. I don't have any answers, but some of what Trump promised sounded good. We are in a crisis. We need to allow those that are looking at being homeless a safe place to pitch a tent. We need to lighten up on all municipal regulations/fees/fines, and tie all those regulations/fees/fines to annual income. It shouldn't be illegial to pitch a tent on county property. We need to reduce the supply of eager workers. (I don't know how anymore. There's to many people that will work for free, and pride themself's on it. And the big one----taxes on the wealthy? Let's put it this way, if you want to take the irritating parts of your Spaceship overseas; move yourself, and your family right along with the savings. Really--sell that mansion, pull the kids out of private school, and Move. I'll stop my rant.
ameister14 9y ago
I don't understand - are you being sarcastic or do you actually believe that slavery is an efficient capitalist state?

adventured 9y ago

> what if we just eliminated wage regulation, and the marginal costs of workers to our business entirely, by making them slaves! Your premise is incorrect and historically ignorant. Slaves are net more costly and drastically less efficient than free employees. George Washington, among numerous other slave owners of the time, for example wrote about that fact indepth. The net cost of workers skyrockets and their productivity implodes, in the case of slavery. Washington made the economic point that with slaves, he became entirely responsible for the cost of their existence, in all regards (shelter, food, health, etc), and their work output was at best on par with or below that of free labor (which is exactly what one would expect). As a system, slavery was a failure morally and economically.

sharemywin 9y ago
It's much more efficient to give them vc money and make them slaves to their own ambition.
icantdrive55 9y ago
Why enslave someone when they will happily take your crappy job? Drive for for Uber, temp work driving your vechicle for Amazon, writing/posting for Facebook, and even here--on Hacker News? (Hasen't made money, but the goodwill/potential must be staggering?) Let's face it, unless you have a very high barrier to entry profession, like brain surgeon, actually bad choice--I know one that happened to be in the resturant business, or one did until her resturant burned down, without property insurance I add.), or have family money to take risk; life in America is not great. I don't want to argue. I know some of you in tech are very happy right now. Let see what happens when letitgo, and buystufffromagayman--yea, it exists; I thought it was a tv parody, goes bankrupt. I don't have any answers, but some of what Trump promised sounded good. We are in a crisis. We need to allow those that are looking at being homeless a safe place to pitch a tent. We need to lighten up on all municipal regulations/fees/fines, and tie all those regulations/fees/fines to annual income. It shouldn't be illegial to pitch a tent on county property. We need to reduce the supply of eager workers. (I don't know how anymore. There's to many people that will work for free, and pride themself's on it. And the big one----taxes on the wealthy? Let's put it this way, if you want to take the irritating parts of your Spaceship overseas; move yourself, and your family right along with the savings. Really--sell that mansion, pull the kids out of private school, and Move. I'll stop my rant.

ameister14 9y ago

I don't understand - are you being sarcastic or do you actually believe that slavery is an efficient capitalist state?