• for_some_delta@beehaw.org
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      5 hours ago

      Let’s examine laissez-faire capitslism on Lemmy. Trivially, how did the “invisible hand” become the “free hand”? That feels like a mix of “invisible hand” and “free market”.

      How does such a system overcome “might makes right”? Adam Smith mentions the natural monopoly of kelp farms in Scotland. Who keeps the market free when I can use force to take over such a natural monpoly?

      Thereby, I should be able to expand my holdings through force and regulate commerce on my land sort of like… a state? This corresponds with Nozick’s minimal state responsible for a monopoly on violence. Is such a state required for your unfettered system?

    • BrainInABox@lemmy.ml
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      10 hours ago

      The entire system is property and contact law that underpins capitalism is a government regulation. You talk like “the Free Hand” is an interventionist god, but it’s not actually real, and capitalism only exists because the government enforces it

    • davel@lemmy.ml
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      19 hours ago

      It’s like you took The Road to Serfdom as gospel at 17 and then turned your brain off ever since. Just a babe in the wood.

      • SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world
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        19 hours ago

        In my dreams there are no woods just businesses as far as the eye can see all selling you your greatest dreams.

        Like Times Square but everywhere.

        • davel@lemmy.ml
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          19 hours ago

          The problem is that you still think those are realizable dreams when they’re not. You may as well dream of owning a flying unicorn.

          • SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world
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            19 hours ago

            If the government wasn’t tying the hands of corporations through regulations and if there was enough consumer demand they definitely would be selling flying unicorns.

            • davel@lemmy.ml
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              19 hours ago

              You’re already in fantasy land, so sure, why not. Also the flying unicorns fart rainbows.

    • blaue_Fledermaus@olio.cafe
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      17 hours ago

      free market means consumers are free to choose where to buy from, it absolutely requires government regulations.

    • NewDark@lemmings.world
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      19 hours ago

      Using government issued currency? Is it still capitalism then?

      So you’re OK with corporations having the power over your life instead? Just allow them to pollute your drinking water or allow them to put whatever they want in your food? You want to try those things?

      • SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world
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        19 hours ago

        I wish people would just think this though a bit.

        Do you think corporations want to kill their customers?

        No they want them to be rich, happy and healthy so they keep coming back and spending more money.

        • bountygiver [any]@lemmy.ml
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          12 hours ago

          The problem is for each company that thinks of long term, you have 10 companies that only thinks of short term.

        • davel@lemmy.ml
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          14 hours ago

          No they want them to be rich, happy and healthy so they keep coming back and spending more money.

          It’s like cigarette companies never existed. Babe in the wood.

          You may not be a parody account but you may as well be.

        • NewDark@lemmings.world
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          17 hours ago

          Corporations want one thing, profits.

          If you can make profit by enslaving people, cutting corners with health and safety standards, and polluting the environment, they will. If they don’t, they’ll get “out competed” by the companies that do and drive the “inefficient” companies out of business. Then we get monopolization which we can’t do anything about because that’s regulation.

        • xthexder@l.sw0.com
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          17 hours ago

          they want them to be rich, happy and healthy so they keep coming back and spending more money.

          See there’s the problem right there. They don’t need customers to be any of those things to suck every last cent out of them. Corporations would love nothing more than becoming a monopoly on human essentials like food, water, housing, etc… because people will go to great lengths to afford food whether they like it or not.