Does Wal-Mart Destroy Communities?

[Dissipate]

We have heard all the claims 10,000 times: Wal-Mart pays low wages and abuses workers, intimidates shoppers, destroys Main Street, puts American workers out of jobs, and encourages consumerism. Because some people believe these things, Wal-Mart sometimes runs into difficulties opening stores that would otherwise provide higher-paying jobs and wonderful goods and services to people who have not previously enjoyed access.

Text

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Dissipate
Text

"William Anderson, an adjunct scholar of the Mises Institute, teaches economics at Frostburg State University. Send him MAIL. "

The guy is an idiot.

A Country that cannot support itself is not a Country, period.

 

[Dari]

Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Oh that's right, the U.S. is like the Stepford Wives, everything is perfect :roll:

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Oh that's right, the U.S. is like the Stepford Wives, everything is perfect :roll:

That's the delusion you wish upon this country. Reality states otherwise, friend. Competition is king. If you can't compete, get the phuck out of the business. THere's nothing more to it.

 

[shiner]

Wal-Mart destroys communities like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Oh that's right, the U.S. is like the Stepford Wives, everything is perfect :roll:

That's the delusion you wish upon this country. Reality states otherwise, friend. Competition is king. If you can't compete, get the phuck out of the business. THere's nothing more to it.

Ah, so you admit it. There is no competition to a giant like Walmart.

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Oh that's right, the U.S. is like the Stepford Wives, everything is perfect :roll:

That's the delusion you wish upon this country. Reality states otherwise, friend. Competition is king. If you can't compete, get the phuck out of the business. THere's nothing more to it.

Ah, so you admit it. There is no competition to a giant like Walmart.

Just off the top of my head Target, KMart, & Sears spring to mind....

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Oh that's right, the U.S. is like the Stepford Wives, everything is perfect :roll:

That's the delusion you wish upon this country. Reality states otherwise, friend. Competition is king. If you can't compete, get the phuck out of the business. THere's nothing more to it.

Ah, so you admit it. There is no competition to a giant like Walmart.

Walmart has it's giant competitors. Walmart is a giant. That means that it can't really specialize in a niche product without losing concentration on other stuff. Smaller shops can feed off of the Walmart business via specialization. Furthermore, they can compete on quality and cs, but not price.

Eventually, the consumer will decide who should be king. At the moment, it's Walmart. BTW, Walmart didn't just open shop within the past 10 years. They've been in business a looong time. You should be proud at how far they've gotten.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Oh that's right, the U.S. is like the Stepford Wives, everything is perfect :roll:

That's the delusion you wish upon this country. Reality states otherwise, friend. Competition is king. If you can't compete, get the phuck out of the business. THere's nothing more to it.

Ah, so you admit it. There is no competition to a giant like Walmart.

Just off the top of my head Target, KMart, & Sears spring to mind....

Ahahahaha, you call them competition. For that you deserve the perverbal :cookie

 

[Dissipate]

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Even Dave can be converted (if he is willing to listen to free market arguments):

It was 1963, and college student Walter Block was, by his own admission, "a dumb pinko." Ayn Rand came to visit Brooklyn College, and Block decided to attend her lecture -- just so he could boo and hiss! After her speech, he decided that he had not booed or hissed enough, so he decided to attend the free luncheon being held in her honor. Of course, Block, not being a member of the Objectivist Study Group, was seated a long way from the guest of honor. So, being young and aggressive, he decided to march right up to the head table, stick his head between Rand and Nathaniel Branden, and tell them that there was a socialist who wanted to debate them. Branden accepted the challenge, but insisted on two ground rules. First, both sides had to agree that the debate would continue-for weeks if necessary-until one side or the other was convinced. Second, Block had to read two books: Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Henry Hazlitt's classic Economics in One Lesson. Within a few sessions, Block accepted Branden's argument, and became a limited-government libertarian. When he met Murray Rothbard in 1966, when he was a graduate student, Block's views on economics (Austrianism) and politics (free-market anarchism) became fully developed.

Block went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University in 1972. His dissertation was "The Economics of Rent Control," written under future Nobel laureate Gary Becker. Since then, Block has taught at several colleges and universities, including the College of the Holy Cross and Rutgers University, and is currently Economics Department Chair at the University of Central Arkansas. He has also worked at private think tanks, including several years as the Senior Economist and Director of The Centre for the Study of Economics and Religion at The Fraser Institute in Vancouver.

Block's vita runs to 20 pages, and includes articles on such subjects as labor markets, the relationship between religion and economics, housing, employment, discrimination, taxation, zoning, immigration, and many others. He is recognized as an authority on the issue of free-market roads, having written more than a dozen articles on the subject. He has also served as an editor on many journals, including the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, the Review of Austrian Economics, The Journal of Libertarian Studies, Cultural Dynamics, and The Journal of Labor Economics.

No discussion of Block's work is complete without at least mentioning his most famous publication: Defending The Undefendable. Of course, any book that is subtitled "The Pimp, Prostitute, Scab, Slumlord, Libeler, Moneylender, and Other Scapegoats in the Rogue's Gallery of American Society," is going to offend many people. Yet, as Murray Rothbard states in the book's Foreword, "By taking the most extreme examples and showing how the [free-market] principles work even in these cases, the book does far more to demonstrate the workability and morality of the free market than a dozen sober tomes on more respectable industries and activities." Of course, as Block points out, his defense of these activities is limited to the claim that these sorts of individuals do not necessarily initiate physical violence against others; he makes no claim that engaging in such activities is in any sense moral.

Text

Imagine that. From a staunch socialist to the one of the world's foremost anarcho-capitalists. Of course, like I said, in order to be converted one must have the mental faculty to process logical data. If Dave lacks this then he will probably never be able to be converted.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Even Dave can be converted (if he is willing to listen to free market arguments):

It was 1963, and college student Walter Block was, by his own admission, "a dumb pinko." Ayn Rand came to visit Brooklyn College, and Block decided to attend her lecture -- just so he could boo and hiss! After her speech, he decided that he had not booed or hissed enough, so he decided to attend the free luncheon being held in her honor. Of course, Block, not being a member of the Objectivist Study Group, was seated a long way from the guest of honor. So, being young and aggressive, he decided to march right up to the head table, stick his head between Rand and Nathaniel Branden, and tell them that there was a socialist who wanted to debate them. Branden accepted the challenge, but insisted on two ground rules. First, both sides had to agree that the debate would continue-for weeks if necessary-until one side or the other was convinced. Second, Block had to read two books: Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Henry Hazlitt's classic Economics in One Lesson. Within a few sessions, Block accepted Branden's argument, and became a limited-government libertarian. When he met Murray Rothbard in 1966, when he was a graduate student, Block's views on economics (Austrianism) and politics (free-market anarchism) became fully developed.

Block went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University in 1972. His dissertation was "The Economics of Rent Control," written under future Nobel laureate Gary Becker. Since then, Block has taught at several colleges and universities, including the College of the Holy Cross and Rutgers University, and is currently Economics Department Chair at the University of Central Arkansas. He has also worked at private think tanks, including several years as the Senior Economist and Director of The Centre for the Study of Economics and Religion at The Fraser Institute in Vancouver.

Block's vita runs to 20 pages, and includes articles on such subjects as labor markets, the relationship between religion and economics, housing, employment, discrimination, taxation, zoning, immigration, and many others. He is recognized as an authority on the issue of free-market roads, having written more than a dozen articles on the subject. He has also served as an editor on many journals, including the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, the Review of Austrian Economics, The Journal of Libertarian Studies, Cultural Dynamics, and The Journal of Labor Economics.

No discussion of Block's work is complete without at least mentioning his most famous publication: Defending The Undefendable. Of course, any book that is subtitled "The Pimp, Prostitute, Scab, Slumlord, Libeler, Moneylender, and Other Scapegoats in the Rogue's Gallery of American Society," is going to offend many people. Yet, as Murray Rothbard states in the book's Foreword, "By taking the most extreme examples and showing how the [free-market] principles work even in these cases, the book does far more to demonstrate the workability and morality of the free market than a dozen sober tomes on more respectable industries and activities." Of course, as Block points out, his defense of these activities is limited to the claim that these sorts of individuals do not necessarily initiate physical violence against others; he makes no claim that engaging in such activities is in any sense moral.

Text

Imagine that. From a staunch socialist to the one of the world's foremost anarcho-capitalists. Of course, like I said, in order to be converted one must have the mental faculty to process logical data. If Dave lacks this then he will probably never be able to be converted.

Why would Dave want to comprehend logic when Xanadu promises so much and looks like Paradise?

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Even Dave can be converted (if he is willing to listen to free market arguments):

It was 1963, and college student Walter Block was, by his own admission, "a dumb pinko." Ayn Rand came to visit Brooklyn College, and Block decided to attend her lecture -- just so he could boo and hiss! After her speech, he decided that he had not booed or hissed enough, so he decided to attend the free luncheon being held in her honor. Of course, Block, not being a member of the Objectivist Study Group, was seated a long way from the guest of honor. So, being young and aggressive, he decided to march right up to the head table, stick his head between Rand and Nathaniel Branden, and tell them that there was a socialist who wanted to debate them. Branden accepted the challenge, but insisted on two ground rules. First, both sides had to agree that the debate would continue-for weeks if necessary-until one side or the other was convinced. Second, Block had to read two books: Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Henry Hazlitt's classic Economics in One Lesson. Within a few sessions, Block accepted Branden's argument, and became a limited-government libertarian. When he met Murray Rothbard in 1966, when he was a graduate student, Block's views on economics (Austrianism) and politics (free-market anarchism) became fully developed.

Block went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University in 1972. His dissertation was "The Economics of Rent Control," written under future Nobel laureate Gary Becker. Since then, Block has taught at several colleges and universities, including the College of the Holy Cross and Rutgers University, and is currently Economics Department Chair at the University of Central Arkansas. He has also worked at private think tanks, including several years as the Senior Economist and Director of The Centre for the Study of Economics and Religion at The Fraser Institute in Vancouver.

Block's vita runs to 20 pages, and includes articles on such subjects as labor markets, the relationship between religion and economics, housing, employment, discrimination, taxation, zoning, immigration, and many others. He is recognized as an authority on the issue of free-market roads, having written more than a dozen articles on the subject. He has also served as an editor on many journals, including the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, the Review of Austrian Economics, The Journal of Libertarian Studies, Cultural Dynamics, and The Journal of Labor Economics.

No discussion of Block's work is complete without at least mentioning his most famous publication: Defending The Undefendable. Of course, any book that is subtitled "The Pimp, Prostitute, Scab, Slumlord, Libeler, Moneylender, and Other Scapegoats in the Rogue's Gallery of American Society," is going to offend many people. Yet, as Murray Rothbard states in the book's Foreword, "By taking the most extreme examples and showing how the [free-market] principles work even in these cases, the book does far more to demonstrate the workability and morality of the free market than a dozen sober tomes on more respectable industries and activities." Of course, as Block points out, his defense of these activities is limited to the claim that these sorts of individuals do not necessarily initiate physical violence against others; he makes no claim that engaging in such activities is in any sense moral.

Text

Imagine that. From a staunch socialist to the one of the world's foremost anarcho-capitalists. Of course, like I said, in order to be converted one must have the mental faculty to process logical data. If Dave lacks this then he will probably never be able to be converted.

Funny, wonder how this guy defends New York City Rent Control when he is such a Free Trade advocate???

He can't have it both ways, and for this he's a PhD :roll:

 

[Dissipate]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Even Dave can be converted (if he is willing to listen to free market arguments):

It was 1963, and college student Walter Block was, by his own admission, "a dumb pinko." Ayn Rand came to visit Brooklyn College, and Block decided to attend her lecture -- just so he could boo and hiss! After her speech, he decided that he had not booed or hissed enough, so he decided to attend the free luncheon being held in her honor. Of course, Block, not being a member of the Objectivist Study Group, was seated a long way from the guest of honor. So, being young and aggressive, he decided to march right up to the head table, stick his head between Rand and Nathaniel Branden, and tell them that there was a socialist who wanted to debate them. Branden accepted the challenge, but insisted on two ground rules. First, both sides had to agree that the debate would continue-for weeks if necessary-until one side or the other was convinced. Second, Block had to read two books: Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Henry Hazlitt's classic Economics in One Lesson. Within a few sessions, Block accepted Branden's argument, and became a limited-government libertarian. When he met Murray Rothbard in 1966, when he was a graduate student, Block's views on economics (Austrianism) and politics (free-market anarchism) became fully developed.

Block went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University in 1972. His dissertation was "The Economics of Rent Control," written under future Nobel laureate Gary Becker. Since then, Block has taught at several colleges and universities, including the College of the Holy Cross and Rutgers University, and is currently Economics Department Chair at the University of Central Arkansas. He has also worked at private think tanks, including several years as the Senior Economist and Director of The Centre for the Study of Economics and Religion at The Fraser Institute in Vancouver.

Block's vita runs to 20 pages, and includes articles on such subjects as labor markets, the relationship between religion and economics, housing, employment, discrimination, taxation, zoning, immigration, and many others. He is recognized as an authority on the issue of free-market roads, having written more than a dozen articles on the subject. He has also served as an editor on many journals, including the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, the Review of Austrian Economics, The Journal of Libertarian Studies, Cultural Dynamics, and The Journal of Labor Economics.

No discussion of Block's work is complete without at least mentioning his most famous publication: Defending The Undefendable. Of course, any book that is subtitled "The Pimp, Prostitute, Scab, Slumlord, Libeler, Moneylender, and Other Scapegoats in the Rogue's Gallery of American Society," is going to offend many people. Yet, as Murray Rothbard states in the book's Foreword, "By taking the most extreme examples and showing how the [free-market] principles work even in these cases, the book does far more to demonstrate the workability and morality of the free market than a dozen sober tomes on more respectable industries and activities." Of course, as Block points out, his defense of these activities is limited to the claim that these sorts of individuals do not necessarily initiate physical violence against others; he makes no claim that engaging in such activities is in any sense moral.

Text

Imagine that. From a staunch socialist to the one of the world's foremost anarcho-capitalists. Of course, like I said, in order to be converted one must have the mental faculty to process logical data. If Dave lacks this then he will probably never be able to be converted.

Funny, wonder how this guy defends New York City Rent Control when he is such a Free Trade advocate???

He can't have it both ways, and for this he's a PhD :roll:

HuH? He opposes rent control.

Text

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Even Dave can be converted (if he is willing to listen to free market arguments):

It was 1963, and college student Walter Block was, by his own admission, "a dumb pinko." Ayn Rand came to visit Brooklyn College, and Block decided to attend her lecture -- just so he could boo and hiss! After her speech, he decided that he had not booed or hissed enough, so he decided to attend the free luncheon being held in her honor. Of course, Block, not being a member of the Objectivist Study Group, was seated a long way from the guest of honor. So, being young and aggressive, he decided to march right up to the head table, stick his head between Rand and Nathaniel Branden, and tell them that there was a socialist who wanted to debate them. Branden accepted the challenge, but insisted on two ground rules. First, both sides had to agree that the debate would continue-for weeks if necessary-until one side or the other was convinced. Second, Block had to read two books: Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Henry Hazlitt's classic Economics in One Lesson. Within a few sessions, Block accepted Branden's argument, and became a limited-government libertarian. When he met Murray Rothbard in 1966, when he was a graduate student, Block's views on economics (Austrianism) and politics (free-market anarchism) became fully developed.

Block went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University in 1972. His dissertation was "The Economics of Rent Control," written under future Nobel laureate Gary Becker. Since then, Block has taught at several colleges and universities, including the College of the Holy Cross and Rutgers University, and is currently Economics Department Chair at the University of Central Arkansas. He has also worked at private think tanks, including several years as the Senior Economist and Director of The Centre for the Study of Economics and Religion at The Fraser Institute in Vancouver.

Block's vita runs to 20 pages, and includes articles on such subjects as labor markets, the relationship between religion and economics, housing, employment, discrimination, taxation, zoning, immigration, and many others. He is recognized as an authority on the issue of free-market roads, having written more than a dozen articles on the subject. He has also served as an editor on many journals, including the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, the Review of Austrian Economics, The Journal of Libertarian Studies, Cultural Dynamics, and The Journal of Labor Economics.

No discussion of Block's work is complete without at least mentioning his most famous publication: Defending The Undefendable. Of course, any book that is subtitled "The Pimp, Prostitute, Scab, Slumlord, Libeler, Moneylender, and Other Scapegoats in the Rogue's Gallery of American Society," is going to offend many people. Yet, as Murray Rothbard states in the book's Foreword, "By taking the most extreme examples and showing how the [free-market] principles work even in these cases, the book does far more to demonstrate the workability and morality of the free market than a dozen sober tomes on more respectable industries and activities." Of course, as Block points out, his defense of these activities is limited to the claim that these sorts of individuals do not necessarily initiate physical violence against others; he makes no claim that engaging in such activities is in any sense moral.

Text

Imagine that. From a staunch socialist to the one of the world's foremost anarcho-capitalists. Of course, like I said, in order to be converted one must have the mental faculty to process logical data. If Dave lacks this then he will probably never be able to be converted.

Funny, wonder how this guy defends New York City Rent Control when he is such a Free Trade advocate???

He can't have it both ways, and for this he's a PhD :roll:

HuH? He opposes rent control.

Text

Ahhhh, you guys can read, maybe there is hope :thumbsup:

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Even Dave can be converted (if he is willing to listen to free market arguments):

It was 1963, and college student Walter Block was, by his own admission, "a dumb pinko." Ayn Rand came to visit Brooklyn College, and Block decided to attend her lecture -- just so he could boo and hiss! After her speech, he decided that he had not booed or hissed enough, so he decided to attend the free luncheon being held in her honor. Of course, Block, not being a member of the Objectivist Study Group, was seated a long way from the guest of honor. So, being young and aggressive, he decided to march right up to the head table, stick his head between Rand and Nathaniel Branden, and tell them that there was a socialist who wanted to debate them. Branden accepted the challenge, but insisted on two ground rules. First, both sides had to agree that the debate would continue-for weeks if necessary-until one side or the other was convinced. Second, Block had to read two books: Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Henry Hazlitt's classic Economics in One Lesson. Within a few sessions, Block accepted Branden's argument, and became a limited-government libertarian. When he met Murray Rothbard in 1966, when he was a graduate student, Block's views on economics (Austrianism) and politics (free-market anarchism) became fully developed.

Block went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University in 1972. His dissertation was "The Economics of Rent Control," written under future Nobel laureate Gary Becker. Since then, Block has taught at several colleges and universities, including the College of the Holy Cross and Rutgers University, and is currently Economics Department Chair at the University of Central Arkansas. He has also worked at private think tanks, including several years as the Senior Economist and Director of The Centre for the Study of Economics and Religion at The Fraser Institute in Vancouver.

Block's vita runs to 20 pages, and includes articles on such subjects as labor markets, the relationship between religion and economics, housing, employment, discrimination, taxation, zoning, immigration, and many others. He is recognized as an authority on the issue of free-market roads, having written more than a dozen articles on the subject. He has also served as an editor on many journals, including the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, the Review of Austrian Economics, The Journal of Libertarian Studies, Cultural Dynamics, and The Journal of Labor Economics.

No discussion of Block's work is complete without at least mentioning his most famous publication: Defending The Undefendable. Of course, any book that is subtitled "The Pimp, Prostitute, Scab, Slumlord, Libeler, Moneylender, and Other Scapegoats in the Rogue's Gallery of American Society," is going to offend many people. Yet, as Murray Rothbard states in the book's Foreword, "By taking the most extreme examples and showing how the [free-market] principles work even in these cases, the book does far more to demonstrate the workability and morality of the free market than a dozen sober tomes on more respectable industries and activities." Of course, as Block points out, his defense of these activities is limited to the claim that these sorts of individuals do not necessarily initiate physical violence against others; he makes no claim that engaging in such activities is in any sense moral.

Text

Imagine that. From a staunch socialist to the one of the world's foremost anarcho-capitalists. Of course, like I said, in order to be converted one must have the mental faculty to process logical data. If Dave lacks this then he will probably never be able to be converted.

Funny, wonder how this guy defends New York City Rent Control when he is such a Free Trade advocate???

He can't have it both ways, and for this he's a PhD :roll:

HuH? He opposes rent control.

Text

Ahhhh, you guys can read, maybe there is hope :thumbsup:

Sheesh, no wonder you see Kerry as "The Answer." You're both delusional.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Dissipate

Originally posted by: Dari
Dissipate, you made the mistake of bringing logic to this forum. Many of the people here are idiots who feed off of emotion. And if it makes economic sense, it's not allowed. Believe me, I've tried. Dave is the leader here with all is anti-logic threads. I wish you the best of luck in educating him.

EDIT: Never mind that Walmart, or other giants bring lower prices. Nevermind that mom's-and-pop's shops can specialize in a niche product. The anti-logic among liberals is that if it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

Even Dave can be converted (if he is willing to listen to free market arguments):

It was 1963, and college student Walter Block was, by his own admission, "a dumb pinko." Ayn Rand came to visit Brooklyn College, and Block decided to attend her lecture -- just so he could boo and hiss! After her speech, he decided that he had not booed or hissed enough, so he decided to attend the free luncheon being held in her honor. Of course, Block, not being a member of the Objectivist Study Group, was seated a long way from the guest of honor. So, being young and aggressive, he decided to march right up to the head table, stick his head between Rand and Nathaniel Branden, and tell them that there was a socialist who wanted to debate them. Branden accepted the challenge, but insisted on two ground rules. First, both sides had to agree that the debate would continue-for weeks if necessary-until one side or the other was convinced. Second, Block had to read two books: Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Henry Hazlitt's classic Economics in One Lesson. Within a few sessions, Block accepted Branden's argument, and became a limited-government libertarian. When he met Murray Rothbard in 1966, when he was a graduate student, Block's views on economics (Austrianism) and politics (free-market anarchism) became fully developed.

Block went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics at Columbia University in 1972. His dissertation was "The Economics of Rent Control," written under future Nobel laureate Gary Becker. Since then, Block has taught at several colleges and universities, including the College of the Holy Cross and Rutgers University, and is currently Economics Department Chair at the University of Central Arkansas. He has also worked at private think tanks, including several years as the Senior Economist and Director of The Centre for the Study of Economics and Religion at The Fraser Institute in Vancouver.

Block's vita runs to 20 pages, and includes articles on such subjects as labor markets, the relationship between religion and economics, housing, employment, discrimination, taxation, zoning, immigration, and many others. He is recognized as an authority on the issue of free-market roads, having written more than a dozen articles on the subject. He has also served as an editor on many journals, including the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, the Review of Austrian Economics, The Journal of Libertarian Studies, Cultural Dynamics, and The Journal of Labor Economics.

No discussion of Block's work is complete without at least mentioning his most famous publication: Defending The Undefendable. Of course, any book that is subtitled "The Pimp, Prostitute, Scab, Slumlord, Libeler, Moneylender, and Other Scapegoats in the Rogue's Gallery of American Society," is going to offend many people. Yet, as Murray Rothbard states in the book's Foreword, "By taking the most extreme examples and showing how the [free-market] principles work even in these cases, the book does far more to demonstrate the workability and morality of the free market than a dozen sober tomes on more respectable industries and activities." Of course, as Block points out, his defense of these activities is limited to the claim that these sorts of individuals do not necessarily initiate physical violence against others; he makes no claim that engaging in such activities is in any sense moral.

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Imagine that. From a staunch socialist to the one of the world's foremost anarcho-capitalists. Of course, like I said, in order to be converted one must have the mental faculty to process logical data. If Dave lacks this then he will probably never be able to be converted.

Funny, wonder how this guy defends New York City Rent Control when he is such a Free Trade advocate???

He can't have it both ways, and for this he's a PhD :roll:

HuH? He opposes rent control.

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Ahhhh, you guys can read, maybe there is hope :thumbsup:

Sheesh, no wonder you see Kerry as "The Answer." You're both delusional.

What? Not so hot when the brainwashing is on the other foot is it.

5 wraps of Reynolds wrap ought to do it for you and call me in the morning

It's too late for this guy but maybe not for other folks here in P&N:

Bush acknowledges 'great costs' of war

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: Dissipate

We have heard all the claims 10,000 times: Wal-Mart pays low wages and abuses workers, intimidates shoppers, destroys Main Street, puts American workers out of jobs, and encourages consumerism. Because some people believe these things, Wal-Mart sometimes runs into difficulties opening stores that would otherwise provide higher-paying jobs and wonderful goods and services to people who have not previously enjoyed access.

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This article is a crock. The author doesn't address the real issues with Wal-Mart with cooresponding real facts and figures. He only addresses them with folksy little statements like:

At the local Wal-Mart where I shop (contrary to Bolton, I do not believe that shopping at Wal-Mart violates the Holy Scriptures), I have noticed that many employees have stayed with that company for a long time, and there does not seem to be much turnover there. Furthermore, from what I can tell, they seem like normal people, not the oppressed slaves that the critics claim fill the ranks of Wal-Mart workers.

Oh! Excuse me, I'm sure we can assess the real impact of Wal-Mart by extrapolating our personal experience at our one local store upon the situation at-large.

Furthermore, he goes on to argue points based on the THEORY of what should happen in a perfect capitalistic system rather than presenting actual numbers and facts about Wal-Mart that support the alleged "other side of the story" that Wal-Mart is simply misunderstood and is really good for us.

Seems to me that the author has simply been chugging the Ayn Rand Kool-Aid for far too long.

 

[Steeplerot]

If you think Wal-Mart does not change the face ofAmerican cities come here to San Francisco. We have never had a wal-mart and we have family owned buisnesses on every corner.
My local stores know me and my GF's names and they do not have to wear a nametag at work. Drive out to the 'burbs and you getthe occasional gas station in a urban wasteland of freeways and half-closed strip malls. If you can not remember America before wal-mart or are too young come take a look. Diversity is great thing. But then some people like wal-marts *shrug*

 

[glenn1]

If you think Wal-Mart does not change the face ofAmerican cities come here to San Francisco. We have never had a wal-mart and we have family owned buisnesses on every corner.
My local stores know me and my GF's names and they do not have to wear a nametag at work. Drive out to the 'burbs and you getthe occasional gas station in a urban wasteland of freeways and half-closed strip malls. If you can not remember America before wal-mart or are too young come take a look. Diversity is great thing. But then some people like wal-marts *shrug*

And either the second or third highest cost of living of any city in the country to boot, correlation anyone?

And anything, you should welcome a Walmart in SF since it would give those tens of thousands of homeless people you pamper so much a chance for gainful employment.

 

[Infohawk]

How do you define destroy? Let's put it this way, Walmart makes communities unappealing to a lot of people. It's like strip malls, they're ugly and depressing. Lot of people think strip-mall communities are a terrible to live and / or raise a family. If you want to live there, go for it.

And before you play the market card, remember that government regulation is necessary to keep markets going efficiently. We don't need monopolies. They aren't good for anyone.

If local communities want to keep walmart out, so be it.

 

[rickn]

I heard they are hiring Mo'Nique & Star Jones as waif models

 

[alchemize]

I'll let you know how it goes in my community. Right now there is a Wal-Mart, but a Super-Wal-Mart is going up the road. There is also a Kmart and a Kroger.

There is also a local hardware store, a local bike shop, a local grocery store, several local clothing stores, several local furnture shops, 2 meat markets, a really crappy organic food store (I hope they put in an organic section in Wal-Mart and drive this place out of business), a lawnmower store, a couple nurseries, etc. So far they've managed to compete just fine with a regular wal-mart (and Kmart). We'll see what happens when SWM goes up. I suspect the Kroger will improve some, they just remodeled it, but their union customer service pretty much sucks. They local store of course has excellent customer service, as do most of the little shops.

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: alchemize
I'll let you know how it goes in my community. Right now there is a Wal-Mart, but a Super-Wal-Mart is going up the road. There is also a Kmart and a Kroger.

There is also a local hardware store, a local bike shop, a local grocery store, several local clothing stores, several local furnture shops, 2 meat markets, a really crappy organic food store (I hope they put in an organic section in Wal-Mart and drive this place out of business), a lawnmower store, a couple nurseries, etc. So far they've managed to compete just fine with a regular wal-mart (and Kmart). We'll see what happens when SWM goes up. I suspect the Kroger will improve some, they just remodeled it, but their union customer service pretty much sucks. They local store of course has excellent customer service, as do most of the little shops.

Sounds a lot like where I live except we have 3 more grocery stores (Homeland, family owned IGA, and a Warehouse Market), a couple of bookstores, and two huge nursey/plant farms. In fact one of the grocery stores, the Warehouse Market that was built in 1923 and has been expanded and remodeled several times over the years sits right in front of the new Wal-Mart Supercenter that opened summer of 2003. Know what happened? The Warehouse Market saw a dramatic increase in business thanks to the Supercenter being so close. People were coming in from several of the small rural outlying communities to shop at the Supercenter and also stopped at Warehouse Market. How do I know this? A friend of mine is the manager at the Warehouse Market. Says since the opening of the Supercenter his business has more than doubled.

Yes....Wal-Mart has sure hurt this town. :roll: So much so in fact that the area they built in is exploding and soon a Home Depot will be built nearby and a Lowes is going in about a mile away. Guess what the land was before Wal-Mart bought it? It was an old abandoned steel mill. Wal-Mart came in, tore the old structures down, cleaned up the land, and made it into usable space. Not a penny of taxpayers money was used either. Now that old land is being put to good use and is no longer a polluted eyesore. The funny thing is that both the EPA and State Department of Environmental Quality came rushing in(they had been called by one of the local enviro nuts that lives in the town) after the cleanup of the area, all skeptical, making statements about their doubts in how well the cleanup was done, etc, etc, etc..... They shut the building project down for several months while they performed tests of the old "brown area" as they called it. Everything came back clean. The only bad mark in their final report was the lack of trees that had been replanted. That was taken care of when Wal-Mart lined every entrance to their parking lot with Redbud and Dogwood trees.

 

[rickn]

walmart has created more chinese jobs than american jobs. How many Walmarts are in China?