[extropy-chat] Seven cents an hour? (was: Riots in France)

[Jack Parkinson]

> From: "John K Clark" <jonkc at att.net>
> Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] Seven cents an hour? (was: Riots in
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> "The Avantguardian" <avantguardian2020 at yahoo.com>
>
>> As if the Waltons were even the slightest bit concerned
>> with anybody other than themsleves.
>
> Concerned? I have no idea who if anybody Sam Walton was personally 
> concerned
> about and frankly my dear I don't give a damn. I'm interested in results, 
> I
> don't give a hoot in hell about intentions.

John still has not said why it is he believes that a Wal-Mart market 
monopoly is in in any sense more 'free market' or 'efficient' than several 
thousand smaller stores offering:
a) choice for consumers - more places to shop
b) choice for workers - more business competing for labor, more capital in 
circulation as opposed to locked away with one small group
c) choice for entrepeneurs - more business opportunities - less chance of a 
reasonable business being stifled and forced out of the market in a 'David 
vs Goliath' scenario
d) a real competing business environment to keep prices reasonable

>I hope I don't come across
> sounding too cynical but any economic system that must rely on people 
> loving
> each other is just not going to work. The farmer grows my food, the 
> trucker
> moves my food and the grocer sells my food and none of these people love 
> me,
> yet the free market plunges them into a conspiracy to put food on my 
> table.
>      John K Clark

"Love" is not the point. But this statement seems to beg the question: What 
is the purpose of the national economy? (Any national economy)

If that purpose IS the good of all its constituent citizens - then surely by 
this criterion the 'legendary hyper-efficiency' of Wal-Mart you mentioned in 
a previous post is actually hyper-inefficiency?

It boils down to the question: Does the economy serve the citizens of the 
country? (In which case all corporate activity should be judged by benefits 
accruing to EVERY sector of society), or do the citizens serve the economy? 
(In which case, poverty line workers are an excellent idea - the only 
important thing is that corporations get rich)

I submit that Wal-Mart does not effectively serve every sector, in fact it 
primarikly seves a miniscule portion of it - the Waltons. And, that in 
consequence of this, the country - and the people - would generally be 
better off without this corporate giant.
Jack Parkinson