The tale of two petrol stations.

[Bob Kane]

How do you define "market forces?"

Just the ol' supply and demand effects.

[Perry]

That's it?

How's that working with SOE electricity generators - for example?

[Bob Kane]

The market works fine when it's allowed to.
What's the problem with the SOE generators?
Is there a monopoly or restrictions to the supply and demand?

[McDuck]

The market works fine when it's allowed to.
What's the problem with the SOE generators?
Is there a monopoly or restrictions to the supply and demand?

Haha.

I wish that were true.

Yourself and most others have no idea what the true face of a truly free, and totally wild, market looks like.

But I'll give you a hint.

Darwin saw it, and it had long, long canine teeth, and you my friend are baby antelope.. with a damaged leg.

Your monkey species (and mine) built city walls to keep out the wild.

Only problem, the wild still lives within us, and we're inside the wall.

(While the old economics teacher was formidable, the biology teacher was a pure genius).

[McDuck]

The market works fine when it's allowed to.

Sorry, I forget everyone has differing levels of schooling.

Economic Darwinism.
You're believing an oversimplified version of economic Darwinism.

At least you've given me a name for a weird view I saw a chap hold the other day.
You've just helped me notice that he believes in Social Darwinism.

Thank you so much.
As you were.

[McDuck]

The market works fine when it's allowed to.

You know what?

I have no idea why you believe this.
Or how the belief first nested in your mind.

I guess I should not assume.
Bit rude really.
May I ask you some questions, (to see where I've made an error)?


I guess I need to understand the definitions first.

1: When you say " works", what do you mean by that?
2: What is the size of your group? ( does it work for you?, or all workers?, All governments?, all New Zealanders?,?

Possibly all the people on the planet? All followers of Christianity, ((or Witchcraft for that matter))?
All the living things on the planet? or all the people who have been part of the previous British Empire?...

Maybe it's just everyone who can keep energy flowing to America,
or the ticket clipping system of the international financial system as it churns ever more quickly?

If you can just tell me the size of your set, and the objective, then effectiveness of process will be reviewable.

Just who is it you speak for?

Of course, you may be running on blind mantra, not thinking, just following.
In that case, no need to explain.
Blind belief in fictitious forces have kept huge civilizations in order before.

[Don't believe the Hype]

Blind belief in fictitious forces have kept huge civilizations in order before.

and still working very well today.

[Bob Kane]

Thank you so much.
As you were.

I guess I'm dismissed then.

[Learning]

Going back to the petrol stations for a moment, perhaps the original small-town station was taking advantage of their localized monopoly and over charging their customers. The large fuel Co. saw an opportunity to do right by the people and introduce a little competition. Then once it had the monopoly it's money hungry shareholders demanded higher dividends from their investment.

There, it's the shareholders fault.

[McDuck]

Going back to the petrol stations for a moment, perhaps the original small-town station was taking advantage of their localized monopoly and over charging their customers. The large fuel Co. saw an opportunity to do right by the people and introduce a little competition. Then once it had the monopoly it's money hungry shareholders demanded higher dividends from their investment.

There, it's the shareholders fault.

Some correct, some not so much.

You are absolutely incorrect on the first part.

Because the old store was part of the community, social forces kept it honest.
The storekeeper had to walk down the main street and look at his customers every day.
His children played with theirs.
He was part of the town. He was them. This is one of the main advantages of local ownership and control.
Great feedback mechanism.

On the second part, you are correct.

J.D. Rockefeller , the father of Standard Oil, and all petrol stations, was a deeply religious man.
When he first saw an oil wick burning in the darkness, he saw it as God's tool to improve the lives of all mankind.
To bring light to the darkness.
Edison's new "electric light" forced him to join with Ford and use the oil for locomotion rather than illumination.
He may have unwittingly done a deal with the devil at that point.
Not only is he rolling in his grave now, but they call him "Spinner" in the afterlife. Ha.

On the third part, I think you have been deliberately thrown a distraction.
It's doubtful that the average shareholder makes operational decisions about what they have shares in.
They are passengers, not drivers, to use an automotive metaphor.

It does beg the question, what group or groups do?