Capitalism

[dante6491]

Thats like asking, how can, in a sane world, excess food be destroyed for economic value and not sent to africa?

You mean like fruit and vegetables? You will find there is little net benefit. The cost involved to ship and distribute it could be better spent investing in those countries so they can produce their own food. You also have to take into account that a lot of the food will go off by the time it reaches Africa.

If you want to refrigerate the food then you will be limiting both the amount of food and number of transports available as refrigeration units take up space, use lots of power and are heavy.

 

[Stretch]

You only have to look at bottled water to realise that marketing can result in some very bizarre outcomes in a global capatalist economy.

 

[Efour]

You mean like fruit and vegetables? You will find there is little net benefit. The cost involved to ship and distribute it could be better spent investing in those countries so they can produce their own food. You also have to take into account that a lot of the food will go off by the time it reaches Africa.

If you want to refrigerate the food then you will be limiting both the amount of food and number of transports available as refrigeration units take up space, use lots of power and are heavy.

Not really im sure he means staples like grain and other pulses that can be relatively easily transported

Remember we paid farmers to leave the land fallow, to decrease supply and artificially keep prices high.... that's not a twisted situation is it ?

 

[Castiel]

Not really im sure he means staples like grain and other pulses that can be relatively easily transported

Remember we paid farmers to leave the land fallow, to decrease supply and artificially keep prices high.... that's not a twisted situation is it ?

Well then farmers would stop growing low value crops and the infrastructure would then not be there when supply is scarce.

 

[Yamahahahahaha]

Europe does send EU-subsidised crops to Africa.

It destroys the local economies by undercutting them (typically significantly). Small short-term gain for large long-term pain.

The trade is unidirectional. Africans tend to have a tough time exporting foodstuffs which are grown (and unnecessarily subsidised) in Europe.

Basically another reason to get rid of EU trade tariffs.

 

[scorza]

Europe does send EU-subsidised crops to Africa.

It destroys the local economies by undercutting them (typically significantly). Small short-term gain for large long-term pain.

The trade is unidirectional. Africans tend to have a tough time exporting foodstuffs which are grown (and unnecessarily subsidised) in Europe.

Basically another reason to get rid of EU trade tariffs.

Two wrongs don't make a right. The solution is for African countries to manage EU imports better, and not for more free trade undercutting the European agriculture industry and ultimately making us dependant on food imports.

It's also worth remembering that a few years ago, people in Africa were starving to death - not because there wasn't any food for them to eat but because that food was too expensive for them to buy.

 

[Monkeymatt]

Worst "I'm a communist" thread ever.

 

[Surfer]

It's more "I need a new X" and because for years you've seen adverts for "X supplied by Y" you think "hmmm I've heard Y make good X I'll get theirs over Z's"

So what you are saying is that adverts have a monopoloy over information and what is known?

Luckily we now have the internet. Anyone who can use google can find the:

cheapest, most high tec, biggest screen, etc TV or other electronic device they want.


So Z wins.


Also with reference to the rather facile argument over Equality.

Equality does not mean Same or Identical.

It means we should all be treated as we would like to be treated. that all should be treated equal irrespective of race, religion, creed, hair colour.

One way to do that is the veil of ignorance. Imagine we all have a say in the creation of a new society. We all die and are brought to life in X position/background and genetic disposition in that society.

But if we dont know what our situation will be in that society then it makes logical sense to ensure that all have the opportunity to attain that which their will can make so.

Its about will. Some are content with only doing so much and some have different ambitions.

As long as everyone gets a fair crack at it. Its all good.

disclaimer: obviously this extends only so far as is practical or medically possible e.g. im not suggesting for a second that someone with downs syndrome that its possible to ensure that they have an equal crack at everything that someone without downs syndrome would.

 

[Surfer]

Not aiming an attack at you but brand and advertising obviously have an affect on you if you wear the Ted Baker stuff to go out as you say. Then you clearly believe that the branded stuff is of a higher quality to that of the supermarket

Not necessarily. Your argument is that if someone wears an expensive brand rather than a cheaper brand then they have undoubtedly been heavily influence by the advertising of the expensive product?

In some cases advertising does make us aware of a product which is actually better than the cheaper one.

However the manner in which we choose of course isnt equal but as soon as we get "smello-vision" on the internet we will have freedom to choose our own aftershave/deodrant etc

 

[robgmun]

they're all getting Blackberries as well (it's a business phone )

This is the one that puzzles me the most, i'm seeing an increasing amount of kids/young people with Blackberries. If you're not using it for work releated stuff then a Blackberry really doesn't offer anything over an iPhone of a HTC and is mostly worse then most smart phones. Really odd, the only thing i think of is that it's hip because it's not an iPhone

 

[Yamahahahahaha]

Two wrongs don't make a right. The solution is for African countries to manage EU imports better, and not for more free trade undercutting the European agriculture industry and ultimately making us dependant on food imports.

It's also worth remembering that a few years ago, people in Africa were starving to death - not because there wasn't any food for them to eat but because that food was too expensive for them to buy.

It doesn't help when European crops are dumped into their local markets at below cost price, destroying what fledgling economy they have.

Besides South Africa I don't think Africa has any institutions resiliant enough to resist the onslaught of bribery and 'easy' money from Western interests.

 

[Tefal]

So what you are saying is that adverts have a monopoloy over information and what is known?

Luckily we now have the internet. Anyone who can use google can find the:

cheapest, most high tec, biggest screen, etc TV or other electronic device they want.


So Z wins.

No really, I'm saying people tend the buy the recognized brand other a small one with no brand awareness even if it is better or the same

 

[Surfer]

in other words Advert A about product A is more known and recognized than Product B which has zero advertising ergo ppl buy product A.

So pretty much what i said....... the decision is based on information awareness/familiarity.

 

[Fuzz]

 

[rypt]

in other words Advert A about product A is more known and recognized than Product B which has zero advertising ergo ppl buy product A.

So pretty much what i said....... the decision is based on information awareness/familiarity.

Yup

 

[Tefal]

in other words Advert A about product A is more known and recognized than Product B which has zero advertising ergo ppl buy product A.

So pretty much what i said....... the decision is based on information awareness/familiarity.

But it's not a monopoly on information like you claimed nor will Z always win as most people don't care enough to look.

 

[Cosimo]

in other words Advert A about product A is more known and recognized than Product B which has zero advertising ergo ppl buy product A.

So pretty much what i said....... the decision is based on information awareness/familiarity.

Yup. It is.

 

[starfighter]

capitalism is good imho. works better than most forms of socialism especially without democracy which most communist places tend to have.

We can't make everyone equal and 'better' people do imho deserve more but my problem is that not everyone starts in the same position.

Education and healhtcare is a good start but

90% of wealth is owned by 1% of the country, look at the times rich list how many of those people were already rich. pretty sure I could make a few million if I already had 100m to invest...

However putting inheritance tax at 100% for over a mill for example would be economic suicide and with so many other countriies it could be easily avoided. (could also argue it gives the government too much power but with democracy it would be fine by me)

So yeah inheritance is my biggest problem with captialsism but other than that it is the best we have for now.

 

[PermaBanned]

So you think we live in a democracy?

 

[Cosimo]

So you think we live in a democracy?

We don't live in a socialist hell hole, that’s for sure.