Last chance for a tax reduction

[Urbanpdx]

I demonstrated very clearly how --zero regulation-- allows the Strong to take from everyone else, and crush competition leading to monopoly, and then you say:

You most certainly did not demonstrate that very clearly. Monopoly, even in places where it is legal, does not result in the strong "taking from everyone else". The only exception is the government.

[Dr. Smoke]

You think monopolies are not comprised of the strong?
Or you think that monopolies do not take from everyone else?

I should have thought that the fact of a monopoly being comprised of the Strong, and that they take from everyone else disproportionate to the benefit they give... is self-evident. They teach the effect of monopolies in every accredited B-school in the nation. There's a long history of monopolistic misbehavior, from the 1800's forward. That is why we (used to) have the Sherman AntiTrust Act.

It goes without saying that in a Libertarian system, monopolies would be legal. And it should be clear that without regulation, capital agglomerates into ever larger and fewer piles. So complete monopoly, and economic enslavement of the populous by the very few, is the only mathematical conclusion. A New Feudalism. Congratulations conservatives! You have ruined America!

[roner]

Mr. urbanpdx (not urbanlife, roner)

opps! sorry about that.

[Dr. Smoke]

(Where did he go?)

(And what the heck is a 'pdx' anyway? 'Portland {something}', I gather?)

[roner]

It's Portland's airport code, like SFO or LAX.

[Urbanpdx]

Originally Posted by Dr. Smoke

You think monopolies are not comprised of the strong?
Or you think that monopolies do not take from everyone else?

I should have thought that the fact of a monopoly being comprised of the Strong, and that they take from everyone else disproportionate to the benefit they give... is self-evident. They teach the effect of monopolies in every accredited B-school in the nation. There's a long history of monopolistic misbehavior, from the 1800's forward. That is why we (used to) have the Sherman AntiTrust Act.

It goes without saying that in a Libertarian system, monopolies would be legal. And it should be clear that without regulation, capital agglomerates into ever larger and fewer piles. So complete monopoly, and economic enslavement of the populous by the very few, is the only mathematical conclusion. A New Feudalism. Congratulations conservatives! You have ruined America!

I still dont understand.

Other than government, give me an example of the monopoly of which you speak.

[Dr. Smoke]

Thank you roner.

Urbanpdx, here's a back-of-the-envelope explanation, to save me some trouble. I just hate to repeat myself over, and over, and over, for every uneducated conservative who happens to come along. They mention the Carnegie Steel Company, Standard Oil, the National Football League, Major League Baseball, DeBeers, and Microsoft. Other examples I can cite are J. P. Morgan's railroad company, and the old Bell Telephone.

This problem has been fixed and then re-broken, time and time again throughout history. Republicans have now broken it again --among many other things-- such as rescission of equal time provisions by the FCC which directly lead to the rise of right-wing radio and the polarization of America, the undermining of the progressive tax system, the short-circuiting of the Bill of Rights, the non-enforcement of anti-trust, and I hate to think what is coming because of it.

Just because you don't know about something, doesn't mean it's not true; just because you haven't learned a lesson, doesn't mean it's invalid. Your kids will pay the price, and they will hate you for it.