OT Neighbor (rant)

[HeyBub]

Sure we do get benefits:

1. Cheaper cars, and/or
2. Greater profit for American stockholders, and
3. If Canadians or Mexicans are employed locally, they won't try to sneak over here, and
4. Their salaries are spent on American products or services we can provide more cheaply than their domestic companies.

Everybody wins when countries do what they do best. To illustrate how silly this "buy American" mantra is, consider a small town where the only business in the town makes breakfast cereal. Would it make sense to urge the townspeople to buy their copy machines from the Post Toastie plant?

[Jon Danniken]

Nope. DDT was banned because it was effective. As a result, millions of Africans didn't die from malaria, but instead died due to starvation, dysentary, and a host of other ailments which plague unsustainable/uncivilizable humanoid populations.

The WHO determined that it was more merciful to let nature take care of the problem in the first place.

Jon

[RicodJour]

You are one strange man.

R

[HeyBub]

for details.

Corporations - and citizens - rely on voluntary contracts. But there must be SOME enforcement mechanism. The only businesses that have the wherewithal to enforce these contracts themselves are Mafia-related. To the extent these contracts need enforcement, governments were created. Therefore, governments exist to SERVE corporations (and business), not to suppress them.

In, I think, the late 1300's, when merchants began trading extensively, piracy sprang up. A group of merchants in England equipped some ships with weapons to deal with the pirates BUT they gave these ships to the crown! Thus begun the British Navy.

The only mention of business I can find in the Constitution are: The right of contract shall be enforced and monopolies are encouraged (patents and copyrights).

[RicodJour]

Governments or every sort were around long before modern corporations came into existence, and corporations (or similar entities that conducted business and had legal rights) have been around since antiquity as well.

It's not a "which came first - the chicken or the egg?" thing. It's more like the two forms grew and overlapped and became concerned in each others' affairs.

Pirates have been around since people took to boats. I mean you are only off by a few thousand years, minimum, and stealing predates recorded history as does travel by boat.

I haven't bothered reading most of this thread, but I hope your 'facts' are more thoroughly researched. An opinion based on bad facts is almost always a bad opinion.

R

[Kurt Ullman]

I view government in this case more of a referee. They aren't there to serve either side, but just to make sure both sides play by the rules and to arbite the occassional dust-up.

>

[RicodJour]

That should be tattooed on every politician's head, in reverse, so they'd read it when they got up each day and went into the bathroom.

R

[HeyBub]

Exactly my point. A neat book on the subject is "Systems of Belief" in which the author contrasted the "Commercial" mindset vs. the "Guardian" mindset. The two operate way differently and we really have to beware applying the techniques of one to the provinces of the other.

For example, bonuses, commissions, and quotas do not work well in government (such as in traffic enforcement), or, more recently, the president's plan to implement a "wage czar" to regulate executive pay. Likewise, secrecy, deceit, and distrust don't work well in business.

Possibly the worst thing one can do is believe expertise in one arena translates to the other. That is, don't EVER vote for someone who touts his success in business as a qualifying factor for elective office.

[Stormin Mormon]

As long as business supplies what customers want, there is no need for "enforcement mechanism". Go to a flea market sometime. You'll see a good example of suppliers providing what customers want. Works nicely.

[Stormin Mormon]

Would be nice if we could get back that point. Unfortunately, in the US, the referee has taken too much power on himself, and has too much stake in who wins.

[aemeijers]

Hey! I live in that town!

-- aem sends...

[Jim Yanik]

aemeijers wrote in news:VOgWl.52347$ [e-mail]:

Not necessarily. Do Canadians work cheaper than US auto workers?

it's not our responsibility to provide employement for foreigners.

MAYBE they spend their some of their salaries on US products. (and what would those products be??) More likely,not.

Not even comparable.

[HeyBub]

What if the vendor doesn't have the proper apprenticeship, union membership, business license, bonding, or insurance or the customer has not obtained the proper plans, permits, inspections, or zoning approval?

We're all gonna die, that's what will happen.

[Nate Nagel]

I believe at least PA has started collecting sales tax from swap meet vendors. Has cut back on the number of businesses setting up stands at car show/swap meets.

nate

[HeyBub]

Microsoft Windows comes to mind.

As far as I can tell, no Canadian company makes MRI machines. Or very many movies. Or wine. Or Fein Multimaster knock-offs. Or jumbo jets.

We sell a LOT of stuff to Canada and Mexico. In the latter case, a lot of guns. Or so it is claimed.