What ARE you talking about? The things that I do are a small subset of the things I have a right to do, and my selection of things I do are based on my (not your!) moral code.
I think you're arguing with somebody who's not me.
Congress is NOT supposed to help parents protect their children. As a matter of fact, I've read the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence, and I don't recall a single mention of Government protecting children anywhere.
My "constitutional liberties" taste pretty darn bitter, since everybody who thinks they have a way to protect kids or kill terrorists gets to just ignore them.
I'm going to assume I'm being trolled. If you wish to continue this discussion, feel free.
Specifically talking about life-saving medications, it's not POSSIBLE to have a free market. See AIDS medicines. Either you pay the $100-1000/month, or you die. Don't have insurance? Live in Africa? Tough. It's a free market, and you're free to die in the street.
"the idea of a company pricing a vital but cheaply-manufactured good out of reach of the general public is silly"
I think Nike should be allowed to charge basically whatever they want for shoes. There are plenty of shoe manufacturers for me to choose from. Likewise cars...charge what you like. If I don't like the price, I'll go elsewhere.
However, when a market player is big enough to control access to the market, it isn't a market anymore. See Microsoft, Monsanto, and the drug companies.
The interests of the top of the Fortune 500 are utterly irrelevant to me. The only concern I have is that my freedom as a citizen is not impeded by their pursuit of profit.
Yes, individual citizens are free, and encouraged, to pursue profit. But NOT at the expense of other peoples' freedom.
Free market does not mean that corporate actors should be able to do as they wish to corner markets and raise prices. It means that purchasers have much fredom to choose between sellers (and vice versa), thereby encouraging optimal economic exchanges.
"If they price themselves out of the mass market, they wouldn't make any money that way."
What a silly notion. There are any number of luxury brands that are not mass market sellers, but still make plenty of money. How many boats do you suppose the super yacht builders build in a year?
Day to day, I carry a Treo 650 and a Leatherman Charge. Both are superb multi-function tools. Neither make a good hammer.
So, yeah. Right tool for the job. When you're talking about things that are going to be on your person, good design and light weight are more important than, say, being a 15 lb maul.
Of course, that means you can't do tasks that require a 15 lb maul. Fortunately for me, I need a screwdriver and a pair of pliers and a mobile phone way more frequently than I need to drive railroad spikes.
Huh? What kind of crazy morals are YOU talking about? The only "morally shaky practice" would be if Jeff Bezos came to your house and told you he'd kick your dog if you didn't buy the book.
"Morally shaky"? I'll tell you what's morally shaky: Blaming somebody else for your own free actions. Don't like the book? Don't buy it. If you buy the book, and you don't like it, that's nobody's fault but your own. Caveat emptor.
Slashdot Mirror
"These speeds are only held back by FCC regulations."
Uh huh. And the latency is dictated by the speed of light, rendering the connection useless for a substantial number of users.
"I just want to be able to call their competitor"
Me too. Sure wish there were some.
For very large values of "almost"...
That whooshing sound was the joke going over your head. Wearing a jetpack.
"no ill affects, it dosn't by any means signify you will make it there alive."
Er, I'd think that dying would come under the rubric of an "ill effect", but what the heck do I know...
Cars exist in real, three dimensional meat-space. Video games do not. I believe this distinction might be significant.
"Err... couldn't you solve that by converting the coal to a liquid before selling it to the end user?"
Great idea! We could call it....gasoline!
"I remember the excitement of collecting vendor trinkets and carrying HUGE bags of product literature around for days on end"
Oooh, yeah. I can taste the excitement.
Don't get out much, do ya?
"but the games industry NEEDS a flashy annual event"
Why?
What ARE you talking about? The things that I do are a small subset of the things I have a right to do, and my selection of things I do are based on my (not your!) moral code.
I think you're arguing with somebody who's not me.
I have a right to do almost anything. "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness" is a pretty broad topic.
What ARE you talking about?
Congress is NOT supposed to help parents protect their children. As a matter of fact, I've read the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence, and I don't recall a single mention of Government protecting children anywhere.
My "constitutional liberties" taste pretty darn bitter, since everybody who thinks they have a way to protect kids or kill terrorists gets to just ignore them.
I'm going to assume I'm being trolled. If you wish to continue this discussion, feel free.
When was the last time you had a Ghost image that would fit on one CD?
"Eliminate the government's involvement"
What makes you think that your Fortune 500 will permit that? They like it the way it is.
So, the manager that disagreed with you is incompetent?
Hint: The problem is not with the manager.
Whereas, your ability to pre-judge same is unquestioned.
Specifically talking about life-saving medications, it's not POSSIBLE to have a free market. See AIDS medicines. Either you pay the $100-1000/month, or you die. Don't have insurance? Live in Africa? Tough. It's a free market, and you're free to die in the street.
"the idea of a company pricing a vital but cheaply-manufactured good out of reach of the general public is silly"
I think Nike should be allowed to charge basically whatever they want for shoes. There are plenty of shoe manufacturers for me to choose from. Likewise cars...charge what you like. If I don't like the price, I'll go elsewhere.
However, when a market player is big enough to control access to the market, it isn't a market anymore. See Microsoft, Monsanto, and the drug companies.
The interests of the top of the Fortune 500 are utterly irrelevant to me. The only concern I have is that my freedom as a citizen is not impeded by their pursuit of profit.
Yes, individual citizens are free, and encouraged, to pursue profit. But NOT at the expense of other peoples' freedom.
Free market does not mean that corporate actors should be able to do as they wish to corner markets and raise prices. It means that purchasers have much fredom to choose between sellers (and vice versa), thereby encouraging optimal economic exchanges.
"If they price themselves out of the mass market, they wouldn't make any money that way."
What a silly notion. There are any number of luxury brands that are not mass market sellers, but still make plenty of money. How many boats do you suppose the super yacht builders build in a year?
That's funny. I've never seen a free TV from a television network.
Buisness? Strong Bad, is that you?
I'm sure there are. However, since I elect not to administer it myself, I am at the mercy of my friend who graciously administers it for me.
I like the cost-benefit analysis.
Day to day, I carry a Treo 650 and a Leatherman Charge. Both are superb multi-function tools. Neither make a good hammer.
So, yeah. Right tool for the job. When you're talking about things that are going to be on your person, good design and light weight are more important than, say, being a 15 lb maul.
Of course, that means you can't do tasks that require a 15 lb maul. Fortunately for me, I need a screwdriver and a pair of pliers and a mobile phone way more frequently than I need to drive railroad spikes.
"It's a morally shaky practice"
Huh? What kind of crazy morals are YOU talking about? The only "morally shaky practice" would be if Jeff Bezos came to your house and told you he'd kick your dog if you didn't buy the book.
"Morally shaky"? I'll tell you what's morally shaky: Blaming somebody else for your own free actions. Don't like the book? Don't buy it. If you buy the book, and you don't like it, that's nobody's fault but your own. Caveat emptor.
"No analogies are needed, it's just plain wrong."
Proof by assertion spotted on the Internet! Film at 11!