Re: Marjorie Taylor Greene "likes" the Mossad-did-it Theory

On Friday, March 5, 2021 at 5:59:28 PM UTC-5, ajohnstone wrote:
> >>> Life is inherently unfair. That's why we need wheelchairs... It's not 
> >>> the role of government to make things even... 
> 
> It is why we have statutes about making public buildings accessible to 
> wheelchairs by having them install ramps and buses to have elevators to 
> accommodate the needs of wheelchairs. Common humanity and decency pushes 
> back against the unfairness of the system. 

It isn't the system that is unfair. It is life that is unfair. Some people 
are born richer than others. Some people are born healthier than others. 
Some people are born smarter that others. Some people are born more 
talented than others. Some people are born better looking than others. 
Some people are born more athletic than others. It is not the role of 
government to even up these inherent inequities. It is up to the 
individual to make the most of whatever attributes he/she possesses.

> 
> Self-interest is the motivating force that drives capitalism and your 
> posts acknowledges this. Each person seeks his or her own maximum gain in 
> an never-ending struggle. The very nature of capitalism means one company 
> defeats its rivals, and swallows them up by either driving it to 
> bankruptcy or forcing into mergers . Marxists have always held that the 
> progress of capitalism has involved the inevitable trend towards 
> concentration into bigger enterprises (oligopoly).


That argument presumes that eventually there will be one company survive 
in any business. The reality is capitalism fosters competition. If a 
company is successful, others will try to get a share of that pie. 
Companies are always competing against one another for market share and 
the consumer benefits. It's not like a game of Monopoly where eventually 
the winner ends up owning everything.

> 
> But then as some capitalists lose out they seek the intervention of the 
> State.

Of course they do. That state shouldn't give it to them. 

> 
> Trump (and also Biden) advocate protectionism to stop rival nations 
> applying the exact same commercial logic to international trade as you 
> reflect domestically.

Trump's policies were to negotiate fair trade agreements. We were allowing 
foreigners unfettered access to our markets while their governments were 
restricting our companies' access to their markets. Trump tried to rectify 
that and succeeded partially.

> 
> Also governments pass various anti-trust legislation which has a long 
> history going back to Theodore Roosevelt and such as now being proposed 
> globally against Big Tech. 

I don't favor such government action. I would prefer to free markets sort 
this out.

> 
> But in reality the State sanctions such concentration and centralisation 
> of capital. Why else is the suggestion of lifting patents and intellectual 
> ownership over the coronavirus vaccine is being so vehemently opposed?


Because companies who invested heavily in the development of these 
vaccines think they should be rewarded. And they should. There are now 
three companies who have developed vaccines. I got my first shot today. I 
didn't have a choice. That was made by whoever assigned my county health 
department their allocation. Eventually supply will catch up with demand. 
If this virus runs its course and we eventually achieve herd immunity, 
these drugs might only be needed for a very short time so you can't blame 
the drug companies for wanting to make their profits while the window of 
opportunity is open.

I was a little baffled because I was told to bring my healthcare card but 
nobody ever asked to see it. That would seem to say the government is 
paying for these vaccines which is to say the taxpayers are paying for 
these vaccines.