Economics Questions

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

Brooklyn Red Leg — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:33:29 GMT

How would you do so without empowering The State to the levels that go beyond even today's ridiculousness?

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

scineram — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 17:59:02 GMT

Why not just prevent the pollution in the first place?

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

MrSchnapps — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 00:17:11 GMT

So sue him? I'd say there's liability there. Just because private property exists doesn't exempt him from liability. In fact, it increases it -- suppose he was just leased the land?

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

scineram — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 23:58:16 GMT

Nielsio:

What do I think of a mixed economy? It sucks. Take your hands off my property and get off my lawn.

The chemicals used for your lawn are poisoning the groundwaters.

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

Lewis S. — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 19:25:25 GMT

What do I think of a mixed economy? It sucks. Take your hands off my property and get off my lawn. - Nielso

You know, sometimes the simplest arguments seem to be the most eloquent.

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

AnonLLF — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 18:58:03 GMT

This also sounds like so called 'Neo-libertarianism' which isn't libertarian at all e.g. is pro-war etc.

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

Michael J Green — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 18:08:28 GMT

the leash would never have been put on if they weren't so ready to discriminate.

First, the reasoning here seems to be that the federal government (and in this particular case, the federal government under the eye of Great Society architect LBJ) would only prohibit something that is a real problem. Are you sure you want to suggest this? Do you believe that the state must have prohibited marijuana use because it really was a dangerous drug, or that the state licenses a small number MDs because the populace really was suffering from having too many practicing doctors?

Second, no one I know denies that there was rampant discrimination against blacks, but these were primarily due to Jim Crow Laws (they weren't Jim Crow Business Codes). Many businesses wanted to treat customers equally no matter the color of their skin, but were prohibited from doing so.

Third, I am asking about today. Do you think that, in 2010, we would suddenly see bus operators force those of a certain ethnicity to sit in the back, or whites-only water fountains/restaurants/hotels would re-emerge? Given modern sensibilities and the low cost of spreading information, do you really think any business owner could so flagrantly refuse service based upon race?

As for whether people discriminate today, I dunno. I wouldn't be surprised if some out there do make business decisions based primarily on the race or gender of the other person. But I do not see why a man must be prohibited from considering race when making a voluntary trade (assuming it is possible for a person to completely ignore race), nor do I see how the state could possibly enforce such a prohibition effectively. Besides, the market process tends to punish those who make business decisions based upon anything but efficiency.

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

Nielsio — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:23:04 GMT

What do I think of a mixed economy? It sucks. Take your hands off my property and get off my lawn.

People aren't dying in the streets because there is too much freedom. Such an absurd proposition can only come from people who intend to be authoritarian *****s.

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

digibucc — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:07:19 GMT

"do people think ... that private businesses would suddenly start discriminating if the federal government didn't keep them on a tight leash?"

yes.

the leash would never have been put on if they weren't so ready to discriminate. do you honestly believe business don't still discriminate? maybe i'm misunderstanding your point but it is a very real fact.

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

No2statism — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 14:57:48 GMT

Neoliberalism is private-enterprise and corporatism, while libertarianism is free-enterprise and true capitalism.

Things like letting banks gamble with deposits without the owner's consent, managed trade (NAFTA), and supply-side economics is neoliberalist.

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

SuperCapitalist — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 10:08:21 GMT

"What about monetary policy?"

Fiat money with a rule based policy, probably inflation level targeting (with allowance for catchup inflation ala Woodford) or NGDP targeting. Mechanism would preferably be manipulation of the monetary base, but since it's pretty unlikely that central banks can be divorced from their love of short term interest rate manipulation I don't really see a huge problem with continued use of them so long as attention is paid to monetary aggregates and the central bankers in question have backup plans detailing the unconventional sorts of policies they will engage in when a depression arrives and they hit the zero rate bound.

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

Conza88 — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:57:44 GMT

It's a strawman for the freemarket.

It's Thatcher, Reagan, John Howard etc.

It's where "free market" economists do their best to make the state more efficient. Gee, thanks guys!

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

Raudsarw — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:39:50 GMT

Neolibs aren't nearly as principled or radical enough compared to classical liberals.

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

hugolp — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 06:10:42 GMT

What about monetary policy?

Re: What do you guys think of a Neo-Liberalism?

Michael J Green — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 05:15:11 GMT

So in other words, poor people aren't starving in the streets, very high levels of freedom are preserved, consumer products aren't filled with lead and asbestos, incentives conducive to high economic growth are preserved and gays have equal rights.

Because saying it makes it so!

Also, when did the 1964 CRA become the definining characteristic of libertarianism? When did libertarians unanimously oppose it? And what relevance does the Civil Rights Act even have? (I still don't understand the whole Rand Paul controversy - do people think the CRA is actually going to be overturned, or that private businesses would suddenly start discriminating if the federal government didn't keep them on a tight leash?)