> > profit...which is a zero sum game that actually requires there to be losers
Profit is not a zero sum game, unless you only look at the value of the dollars that changed hands, and not the value of whatever was purchased. If I do something nice for you, what I did for you might make a huge difference to you, but be relatively easy for me to do. Likewise, if you do something for me in return, what you do might be something I couldn't do for myself without tremendous personal cost, but it might be relatively easy to you. In each case, the benefits to the person receiving are greater than the costs to the person giving. If we trade, each of us can have a net increase in personal wealth. This mutual benefit is ensured for both parties in every transaction that is voluntarily made. Otherwise, if it wasn't worth it to you, you wouldn't have voluntarily done it. So when you look at profit, you have to consider: If it was a voluntary transaction, then what you purchased was worth more to you than the money you paid for it, and the money you paid for it was worth more to the company than what you bought. Everybody directly involved benefits, as long as transactions are always voluntary. This is the fundamental basis for all capitalist economies, and especially the laissez faire doctrine. You may feel that this principle by itself fails to ensure that transactions are fair or that everyone gets their needs met, and that therefore it must be possible to make improvements (I would agree with you), but that does not invalidate the fundamental truth that voluntary transactions are mutually beneficial. On Sat, Jan 19, 2013 at 3:22 AM, just camel <justca...@gmail.com> wrote: > I would consider it normal to complain about a flawed system that requires > unsustainable exponential growth by design, that destroys the commons and > our biosphere, that slowly destroys humanity, that gives rise to the most > superficial incentives, which enables corruption, which creates irrelevant > jobs, memes, ideas, fears, information, etc. disordering our society ... > which puts personal profit over meaningfulness, which is a zero sum game > that actually requires there to be losers? Anybody not complaining about > this barbaric framework I would consider stupid or totally indoctrinated. > > "There is no more productive state than cooperation." -- Tom Campbell > > > On 01/29/2013 04:40 PM, Matt Mahoney wrote: > >> Anyone who thinks the American political system is broken hasn't been >> to Somalia. Anyone who thinks the economy is broken hasn't been to >> Haiti. But I guess it is our nature to complain no matter how good we >> have it, and to ignore what is going on in the rest of the world. >> >> It is true that the U.S. share of the world GDP is declining. That is >> because international trade helps both countries, but helps the poor >> countries more. I consider that a good thing. In the U.S. some people >> say we should by only products Made in America because it creates jobs >> for Americans. But each American job created costs 10 jobs in China. I >> would rather create jobs in China because the consequences of >> unemployment in poorer countries is more severe. I care about all of >> humanity, regardless of where people were born. >> >> -- >> -- Matt Mahoney, mattmahone...@gmail.com >> >> >> ------------------------------**------------- >> AGI >> Archives: >> https://www.listbox.com/**member/archive/303/=now<https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> >> RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/**member/archive/rss/303/** >> 23508161-fa52c03c<https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/23508161-fa52c03c> >> >> Modify Your Subscription: >> https://www.listbox.com/**member/?&;<https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> >> Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com >> > > > > ------------------------------**------------- > AGI > Archives: > https://www.listbox.com/**member/archive/303/=now<https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> > RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/**member/archive/rss/303/** > 23050605-2da819ff<https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/23050605-2da819ff> > Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/** > member/?&id_**secret=23050605-53e85d0d<https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> > Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com > ------------------------------------------- AGI Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/21088071-f452e424 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=21088071&id_secret=21088071-58d57657 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
