Reply With QuoteWhy would I reply to something saying I need to reply as a "lib" since I am not one???
This essay was recently written by Walter Williams. Please tell me what you think of it with regard to his ideas vs. yours or do you agree with this conservative conservative?
September 14, 2005
(As it appeared on Town hall .com)
The fallout from Hurricane Katrina has featured a lot of ignorance and demagoguery about prices. Let's look at some of it. One undeniable fact is that the hurricane disaster changed scarcity conditions. There are fewer stores, fewer units of housing, less gasoline and a shortage of many other goods and services used on a daily basis. Rising prices are not only a manifestation of these changed scarcity conditions, they help us cope, adjust and get us on the road to recovery.
Here's a which-is-better question for you. Suppose a hotel room rented for $79 a night prior to Hurricane Katrina's devastation. Based on that price, an evacuating family of four might rent two adjoining rooms. When they arrive at the hotel, they find the rooms rent for $200; they decide to make do with one room. In my book, that's wonderful. The family voluntarily opted to make a room available for another family who had to evacuate or whose home was destroyed. Demagogues will call this price-gouging, but I ask you, which is preferable: a room available at $200 or a room unavailable at $79? Rising prices get people to voluntarily economize on goods and services rendered scarcer by the disaster.
After Hurricane Katrina struck, gasoline prices shot up almost a dollar nearly overnight. Some people have been quick to call this price-gouging, particularly since wholesalers and retailers were charging the higher price for gasoline already purchased and in their tanks prior to the hurricane. The fact of business is that what a seller paid for something doesn't necessarily determine its selling price. Put in a bit more sophisticated way: Historical costs have nothing to do with selling price. For example, suppose you maintained a 10-pound inventory of coffee in your cupboard. When I ran out, you'd occasionally sell me a pound for $2. Suppose there's a freeze in Brazil destroying much of the coffee crop, driving coffee prices to $5 a pound. Then I come around to purchase coffee. Are you going to charge me $2 a pound, what you paid for it, or $5, what it's going to cost you to restock your coffee inventory?
What about the house that you might have purchased for $50,000 in 1970 that you're selling today? If you charged me $250,000 for it, today's price for its replacement, as opposed to what you paid for it, are you guilty of price-gouging?
Recovering from Katrina means resources will have to be moved to the Gulf Coast. I ask you, how does one get electricians, plumbers and other artisans to give up their comfortable homes and livelihoods in Virginia and Pennsylvania and travel to Mobile and New Orleans to help in the recovery? If you said pay them higher prices, go to the head of the class. Higher prices, along with windfall profits, are economic signals of unmet human wants. As such, they encourage producers to meet those human wants.
Politicians of both parties have rushed in to exploit public ignorance and emotion. Last week Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (Democrat) threatened to prosecute gas companies. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (Republican) is threatening legal action against what he called "unconscionable pricing" by hotels. Alabama Attorney General Troy King (Republican) promises to vigorously prosecute businesses that significantly increase prices during the state of emergency. The Bush administration has called for the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to look for evidence of price-gouging, and Congress plans to hold hearings on oil company "price-gouging."
There's an important downside to these political attacks on producers. What about the next disaster? How much sense does it make for producers to make the extra effort to provide goods and services if they know they risk prosecution for charging what might be seen as "unconscionable prices"? Politicians would serve us better by focusing their energies on tax-gouging.
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Why would I reply to something saying I need to reply as a "lib" since I am not one???
Why would I reply to something saying I need to reply as a "lib" since I am not one???
Well, that's one way to avoid the issue. Good job, Blown. One thing about you...You're as consistant as the day is long.
The article makes sense if your standard of living is middle class or higher. Essentially the author is attempting to reduce guilt in the higher income group. The downside is the majority of people that needed a hotel in an emergency such as Katrina could barely afford the $79.00 room. This means they would be relegated to the street since they couldn't afford the $200.00 a night. Meantime, someone living a higher standard of existence could then stay in the room for $200 guilt free, according to the logic presented in the article. There are aspects of his logic that ring true. For example: the rush to rebuild will stimulate economic recovery. Of course there's a downside to that also. The majority of monies will stimulate economies outside the catostrophic area. There will be moderate stimulation due to living expenses for crews etc... but, the bulk of the money will go to outside economies beyond the striken areas, therefore perpetuating the welfare state, you so fear.
BTW, I'm proud to be called a lib.
lib·er·al
adj.
1. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
2. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
4. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
I keep telling 'em! But they won't listen. Maybe if you posted links to crazy malitia sites they might understand? Yah....probably not.
BTW - when is Poser X gonna sack up and stop hiding behind his "anonymity"? Or is he afraid we will find out he is a 20 year old trust fund baby who has never had a real job in his life. Gotta like how he comes on here and acts all "intellectual" and "enlightened" yet no one knows who he is. Did he get tired of posing as a chick in AOL chat rooms? My bet is that it is Butt Pirate from last year. Pretty pathetic that he has to come to a boating site and get his hate on. I know, we should listen to the "message" and totally ignore it is coming from the town idiot as all opinions are equal and it is not fair to give more credibility to people who have actually done something to contribute to society and this country. Yes, Poser X is a high class addition to ***boat.
Anyone want to take bets on a Forum Suicide count down?
So you're actually a little mouse named Holy Moly?
Why yes. There are many people I have met, and even hired from these boards. Busti is a well known real estate mogul who I have talked to in person a couple of times. Even blown has met a few people and established he is not just a posing troller.....he is a real life troller!!! All of the regular people on these boards have been validated as real people - not some jackass hiding behind anonymity to spew their crap so they don't have to deal with any real world consequences of being a jackass.
My point was that you come on here and no one knows who the fu ck you are and all you do is troll. Pretty pathetic and childish. Usually means you GOT nothin to back up your positions, infact, if we found out what you really did we would probably all laugh. All the big liberal trolling jackasses usually get flushed out and find out their most common business saying is "you want fries with that?" They have never accomplished anything of significance in their lives, because if they did, they would actually realize it is individuals who take responsiblity and sack up for their own lives is the only way to truly help people.
Libs come on here and think we are die hard Bush lovers, when in fact most of us are pissed off at what a wussy he is, but we will take him over any liberal because NEWS FLASH: Liberalism is not wave of the future...it is the scurge of the past that has failed over and over and over. Talk about history repeating itself. You can keep telling yourself your views are progressive and new and if you say it enough, it will still fail. History. It doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes responsible parents.
If you had come on these boards, got to know people, let people get to know you and then unleashe your liberal crap, we would have still beat the hell out of you, but then we would buy you a beer and let you have your way with Kim Hanson.
So, when you gonna come clean.....Lake Pirate?
That is the nicest thing you have ever said about me, I think I am tearing up.
If you had come on these boards, got to know people, let people get to know you and then unleashe your liberal crap, we would have still beat the hell out of you, but then we would buy you a beer and let you have your way with Kim Hanson.
Easy on Kimmy now, at least he has a fukking boat!!!!! :hammer2:
2. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
Cou-bullshit-gh, Cou-bullshit-gh, Cou-bullshit-gh, Cou-bullshit-gh!!!!!!!!! :notam:
That is the nicest thing you have ever said about me, I think I am tearing up.
Don't be getting any crazy ideas!
P.S. You complete me.
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