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problem is deregulation and privatisation doesn't work either, because then instead of corrupt politicians who make decisions based on greed despite being told

problem is deregulation and privatisation doesn't work either, because then instead of corrupt politicians who make decisions based on greed despite being told not to, you get CEOs and big corporations who make decisions based on profit (essentially greed) because that is their entire purpose

roenxi 4y ago
If you look a bit deeper though; you'll find that greed can lead to good and bad outcomes. People make decisions because in some sense they feel like they will profit personally. That is basically the same as saying they do things for reasons. We know that most people aren't especially principled because they are regularly tested and don't make principle-based decisions. Nevertheless there is a great deal of good in the world. Corporations are greedy, but they operate in a world where it is hard for them to enrich themselves without enriching others too.
- crashmat 4y ago
  how is this different/better for corporations than for politicians? Also how do corporations, that focus their efforts on using the cheapest possible production methods regardless of effects on the environments or peoples' health, paying their workers the absolute minimum for them to continue living, and paying their shareholders the absolute maximum amount 'enrich others' by accident? Not that I am defending corrupt politicians, I just really don't know what to do about this, and looking at all the bad things corporations do i can't comprehend how they would suddenly become good when even less regulated than they already are
  - germandiago 4y ago
    Corporations in a free market offer products and services. Politicians coercion. They do not improve your life objetively, usually they do not pay for the price of them when there is a mistake but get benefits from trafficking favors.
nottorp 4y ago
> you get CEOs and big corporations who make decisions based on profit (essentially greed) because that is their entire purpose That would be fine if you had hundreds of CEOs competing in a market. Unfortunately they tend to merge and create monopolies. And some people salute this because of the growth at all costs mindset. What else in nature grows at all costs? Oh right, cancer.
germandiago 4y ago
Profit is not greed when you serve people with products and services. Or if it is greed, regulation and corruption is not another kind of greed even worse? No service, no product, no benefit for anyone. If there is benefit in a regulation, the person imposing it is not the person paying the negative outcomes of it. Never. So no, CEOs competing cannot get more than what they generate unless they distort the market in some way.

roenxi 4y ago

If you look a bit deeper though; you'll find that greed can lead to good and bad outcomes. People make decisions because in some sense they feel like they will profit personally. That is basically the same as saying they do things for reasons. We know that most people aren't especially principled because they are regularly tested and don't make principle-based decisions. Nevertheless there is a great deal of good in the world. Corporations are greedy, but they operate in a world where it is hard for them to enrich themselves without enriching others too.

crashmat 4y ago
how is this different/better for corporations than for politicians? Also how do corporations, that focus their efforts on using the cheapest possible production methods regardless of effects on the environments or peoples' health, paying their workers the absolute minimum for them to continue living, and paying their shareholders the absolute maximum amount 'enrich others' by accident? Not that I am defending corrupt politicians, I just really don't know what to do about this, and looking at all the bad things corporations do i can't comprehend how they would suddenly become good when even less regulated than they already are
- germandiago 4y ago
  Corporations in a free market offer products and services. Politicians coercion. They do not improve your life objetively, usually they do not pay for the price of them when there is a mistake but get benefits from trafficking favors.

nottorp 4y ago

> you get CEOs and big corporations who make decisions based on profit (essentially greed) because that is their entire purpose That would be fine if you had hundreds of CEOs competing in a market. Unfortunately they tend to merge and create monopolies. And some people salute this because of the growth at all costs mindset. What else in nature grows at all costs? Oh right, cancer.

germandiago 4y ago

Profit is not greed when you serve people with products and services. Or if it is greed, regulation and corruption is not another kind of greed even worse? No service, no product, no benefit for anyone. If there is benefit in a regulation, the person imposing it is not the person paying the negative outcomes of it. Never. So no, CEOs competing cannot get more than what they generate unless they distort the market in some way.