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He would have a hard time justifying that in the face of historical fact. Historically speaking, people who have gained power have used that power to limit the

by jmcqk6 8y ago

He would have a hard time justifying that in the face of historical fact. Historically speaking, people who have gained power have used that power to limit the freedom of others. I think history is pretty clear that optimizing for "most freedom" means "allow people lucky enough to gain power the freedom to exercise it over others." Maximizing for freedom is great if you're part of a group that tends to hold power. It's not so great if you're part of a group that tends to not.

pitaj 8y ago
Historically speaking, the more freedom, the more equality and the better off everyone is. - Countries which add restrictions the the economy see slower wealth growth and more inequality - Countries which free up their economy see acceleration in growth and more equality - Countries with free economies outperform neighboring, similar countries which are more restrictive - Industries which are more free are more innovative, and become cheaper, faster than heavily regulated industries
- jmcqk6 8y ago
  I can appreciate what you're saying, but please don't ignore the countless counter-examples. Compare health outcomes of countries with socialized medicine to those without, for example. How many regulations exist because private companies couldn't be trusted to do the right thing on their own? The Civil Rights act. Sure, you can point out that soviet russia failed economically, especially compared to the US, but there is nothing about that fact that contradicts the point that "freer" economic structures have also led to serious power imbalances between employers and employees, and that many of the rights employees have today in the US are only due to regulation imposed by governments.
  - pitaj 8y ago
    > Compare health outcomes of countries with socialized medicine to those without, for example. Socialized medicine is likely better than the current state of US healthcare, but US healthcare is by no means a free market. In fact, it's probably the most regulated and otherwise distorted by government policy. It all started with the introduction of medicare and the wage caps of the WWII era leading to employer-linked insurance. Before that, it was much more affordable. > How many regulations exist because private companies couldn't be trusted to do the right thing on their own? The Civil Rights act. The civil rights act was created as a response to other state distortions, like Jim Crow laws and segregation. It isn't necessary to prevent discrimination: incentives against that already exist in the marketplace. Give me an example of a regulation, and I'll tell you why it is either unnecessary or actively harmful. > the point that "freer" economic structures have also led to serious power imbalances between employers and employees To the contrary, freer economies led to the reduction of child labor and improvements to worker's lives before any policy actions were implemented. > many of the rights employees have today in the US are only due to regulation imposed by governments If by rights, you mean privileges.
    - jmcqk6 8y ago
      >Give me an example of a regulation, and I'll tell you why it is either unnecessary or actively harmful. The various requirements to wear a life jacket. Fire codes. Removing lead from gasoline.

by jmcqk6 8y ago

pitaj 8y ago

Historically speaking, the more freedom, the more equality and the better off everyone is. - Countries which add restrictions the the economy see slower wealth growth and more inequality - Countries which free up their economy see acceleration in growth and more equality - Countries with free economies outperform neighboring, similar countries which are more restrictive - Industries which are more free are more innovative, and become cheaper, faster than heavily regulated industries

jmcqk6 8y ago
I can appreciate what you're saying, but please don't ignore the countless counter-examples. Compare health outcomes of countries with socialized medicine to those without, for example. How many regulations exist because private companies couldn't be trusted to do the right thing on their own? The Civil Rights act. Sure, you can point out that soviet russia failed economically, especially compared to the US, but there is nothing about that fact that contradicts the point that "freer" economic structures have also led to serious power imbalances between employers and employees, and that many of the rights employees have today in the US are only due to regulation imposed by governments.
- pitaj 8y ago
  > Compare health outcomes of countries with socialized medicine to those without, for example. Socialized medicine is likely better than the current state of US healthcare, but US healthcare is by no means a free market. In fact, it's probably the most regulated and otherwise distorted by government policy. It all started with the introduction of medicare and the wage caps of the WWII era leading to employer-linked insurance. Before that, it was much more affordable. > How many regulations exist because private companies couldn't be trusted to do the right thing on their own? The Civil Rights act. The civil rights act was created as a response to other state distortions, like Jim Crow laws and segregation. It isn't necessary to prevent discrimination: incentives against that already exist in the marketplace. Give me an example of a regulation, and I'll tell you why it is either unnecessary or actively harmful. > the point that "freer" economic structures have also led to serious power imbalances between employers and employees To the contrary, freer economies led to the reduction of child labor and improvements to worker's lives before any policy actions were implemented. > many of the rights employees have today in the US are only due to regulation imposed by governments If by rights, you mean privileges.
  - jmcqk6 8y ago
    >Give me an example of a regulation, and I'll tell you why it is either unnecessary or actively harmful. The various requirements to wear a life jacket. Fire codes. Removing lead from gasoline.