And to my point in this Thread, Smith speaks very well... The proprietor of stock is necessarily a citizen of the world, and is not necessarily attached to any particular country. He would be apt to abandon the country in which he was exposed to a vexatious inquisition, in order to be assessed to a burdensome tax, and would remove his stock to some other country where he could either carry on his business, or enjoy his fortune more at his ease. By removing his stock he would put an end to all the industry which it had maintained in the country which he left. Stock cultivates land; stock employs labour. A tax which tended to drive away stock from any particular country, would so far tend to dry up every source of revenue, both to the sovereign and to the society. Not only the profits of stock, but the rent of land and the wages of labour, would necessarily be more or less diminished by its removal.
Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations, Book V, Chapter II On Oct 8, 1:19 pm, Gaar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The man of system, on the contrary, is apt to be very wise in his own > conceit, and is often so enamoured with the supposed beauty of his own > ideal plan of government, that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation > from any part of it. He goes on to establish it completely and in all > its parts, without any regard either to the great interests or the > strong prejudices which may oppose it: he seems to imagine that he can > arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as > the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chess-board; he does not > consider that the pieces upon the chess-board have no other principle > of motion besides that which the hand impresses upon them; but that, > in the great chess-board of human society, every single piece has a > principle of motion of its own, altogether different from that which > the legislature might choose to impress upon it. If those two > principles coincide and act in the same direction, the game of human > society will go on earily and harmoniously, and is very likely to be > happy and successful. If they are opposite or different, the game will > go on miserably, and the society must be at all times in the highest > degree of disorder. > > Some general, and even systematical, idea of the perfection of policy > and law, many no doubt be necessary for directing the views of the > statesman. But to insist upon establishing, and upon establishing all > at once, and in spite of all opposition, everything which that idea > may seem to require, must often be the highest degree of arrogance. It > is to erect his own judgment into the supreme standard of right and > wrong. It is to fancy himself the only wise and worthy man in the > commonwealth, and that his fellow-citizens should accommodate > themselves to him, and not he to them. It is upon this account that of > all political speculators sovereign princes are by far the most > dangerous. > > Adam Smith > The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Part VI, Section II, Chapter 2 > > ======================== > > Did Adam Smith meet Barack Obama? > > ;-) > > On Oct 8, 1:09 pm, Gaar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Man has almost constant occasion for the help of his brethren, and it > > is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only. > > > Adam Smith > > The Wealth of Nations, Book I Chapter 1 > > > On Oct 8, 1:07 pm, Gaar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Every individual...generally, indeed, neither intends to promote the > > > public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it. By preferring > > > the support of domestic to that of foreign industry he intends only > > > his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as > > > its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own > > > gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible > > > hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. > > > > Adam Smith > > > The Wealth of Nations, Book IV Chapter II > > > > On Oct 8, 1:06 pm, Gaar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Such is the delicacy of man alone, that no object is produced to his > > > > liking. He finds that in everything there is need for improvement.... > > > > The whole industry of human life is employed not in procuring the > > > > supply of our three humble necessities, food, clothes and lodging, but > > > > in procuring the conveniences of it according to the nicety and > > > > delicacy of our tastes. > > > > > Adam Smith > > > > Lectures on Justice, Policy, Revenue and Arms > > > > > On Oct 8, 1:00 pm, Gaar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > Seems YOU need to read Smith... > > > > > > On Oct 8, 12:53 pm, Hollywood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > Gaar, > > > > > > > Yeah I do. Feel free to prove me wrong. Re-read your beloved Adam > > > > > > Smith. Does he not point out that greed, the desire for personal > > > > > > material gain, is the driving force, the whole motivation behind > > > > > > capitalism? > > > > > > > On Oct 8, 1:31 pm, Gaar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > So you say... > > > > > > > > On Oct 8, 6:53 am, Hollywood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Gaar, > > > > > > > > > Bull-fucking-shit and you know damned well. Hell, people's > > > > > > > > heads roll > > > > > > > > and stock prices fall when there is even talk of a given comapny > > > > > > > > failing to meet growth expectations. "get more agressive about > > > > > > > > profits > > > > > > > > and cutting costs", "grow or die", etc. etc. never heard those > > > > > > > > phrases > > > > > > > > around boardrooms? Hell, these people no longer even consider > > > > > > > > out of > > > > > > > > control greed to be a fault or character defect, must less of > > > > > > > > of the > > > > > > > > "7 deadly sins". > > > > > > > > > On Oct 8, 7:33 am, Gaar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > On Oct 7, 10:39 pm, Hollywood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Really? Give me an example of a major corporation saying > > > > > > > > > > they have > > > > > > > > > > enough profits and enough growth to satisfy them. > > > > > > > > > > Give me an example of one saying they don't.- Hide quoted > > > > > > > > > text - > > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. 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