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I wish people would stop blaming companies for doing exactly what they are designed/incentivized to do. That is the capitalist system. We should be blaming the

I wish people would stop blaming companies for doing exactly what they are designed/incentivized to do. That is the capitalist system. We should be blaming the system that allows for the circumstances that many people being displaced by technology are experiencing. Individuals should not have their financial viability completely compromised by shifts in technology or society. Sure, I feel for the existential problems that shifts cause (e.g. seeing your life’s work commoditized), but the material, economic harm that comes from it is entirely systemic. Is not Uber’s fault that taxi drivers are becoming homeless. It is the government’s fault for not providing an adequate social safety net.

peacetreefrog 9y ago
It sounds like a cliche, but capitalism = freedom. People can choose whether or how they want to get around -- whether it's calling an uber, hailing a taxi, or walking -- and whether the cost of doing so is worth it to them. Similarly, people can decide whether the money they'd make ($69k annually according to this article) driving a taxi is worth it to them, and if not, do something else. There are alternatives. Capitalism is just the aggregation of all these micro-transactions. Most of the time, intervening in this system means preventing win-win transactions between consenting adults.
- alphonsegaston 9y ago
  >It sounds like a cliche, but capitalism = freedom. And War is Peace. Ignorance is Strength.
- AstralStorm 9y ago
  You cannot choose options in a monopoly or when a major player uses dumping prices and worker churn to force out competition. The natural end state of capitalism is an efficient and aggressive monopoly or cartel. (Including a cartel with the government.) How is lack of proper options freedom?
  - peacetreefrog 9y ago
    Simultaneously complaining about monopoly, which allows firms to keep prices artificially high, and "price dumping" makes little sense. I have issues with both. It's obviously not a monopoly. Apart from Uber AND Lyft, you have regular taxi's, public transit, personal cars, bicycles and the ability to walk. As for price dumping, again -- if rich VC's want to compete with each other to subsidize my rides and my drivers wages -- I'm not going to complain about it. Uber and Lyft are the epitome of options vs what was going on in the NYC taxi scene before them.
    - AstralStorm 9y ago
      Not at all. Price dumping (also loss leading) is a tactic to build a monopoly or a dominant position on the market. Once competition is driven out, raise prices and barriers to entry to cement the advantages. Those rich VCs get their money from somewhere. Usually us poor suckers who do not get paid the proper wage. Even a free taxi does not offset it.
  - malandrew 9y ago
    What alternative are you proposing besides capitalism with robust anti-trust laws? Today, many people are proposing socialism/communism, which ironically is just a system where the state has a monopoly on almost everything and there is no anti-trust organization to break up that monopoly.

peacetreefrog 9y ago

It sounds like a cliche, but capitalism = freedom. People can choose whether or how they want to get around -- whether it's calling an uber, hailing a taxi, or walking -- and whether the cost of doing so is worth it to them. Similarly, people can decide whether the money they'd make ($69k annually according to this article) driving a taxi is worth it to them, and if not, do something else. There are alternatives. Capitalism is just the aggregation of all these micro-transactions. Most of the time, intervening in this system means preventing win-win transactions between consenting adults.

alphonsegaston 9y ago
>It sounds like a cliche, but capitalism = freedom. And War is Peace. Ignorance is Strength.
AstralStorm 9y ago
You cannot choose options in a monopoly or when a major player uses dumping prices and worker churn to force out competition. The natural end state of capitalism is an efficient and aggressive monopoly or cartel. (Including a cartel with the government.) How is lack of proper options freedom?
- peacetreefrog 9y ago
  Simultaneously complaining about monopoly, which allows firms to keep prices artificially high, and "price dumping" makes little sense. I have issues with both. It's obviously not a monopoly. Apart from Uber AND Lyft, you have regular taxi's, public transit, personal cars, bicycles and the ability to walk. As for price dumping, again -- if rich VC's want to compete with each other to subsidize my rides and my drivers wages -- I'm not going to complain about it. Uber and Lyft are the epitome of options vs what was going on in the NYC taxi scene before them.
  - AstralStorm 9y ago
    Not at all. Price dumping (also loss leading) is a tactic to build a monopoly or a dominant position on the market. Once competition is driven out, raise prices and barriers to entry to cement the advantages. Those rich VCs get their money from somewhere. Usually us poor suckers who do not get paid the proper wage. Even a free taxi does not offset it.
- malandrew 9y ago
  What alternative are you proposing besides capitalism with robust anti-trust laws? Today, many people are proposing socialism/communism, which ironically is just a system where the state has a monopoly on almost everything and there is no anti-trust organization to break up that monopoly.