I have deliberately not mentioned politics pinballdave. My thesis was that a market economy (including a very highly regulated one such as in the UK) will drive down margins and therefore costs, but there will always be consequent risks. The alternative to a market economy (regardless of how regulated) is a centrally controlled economy. That much is logical (and I think irrefutable); this is what I said.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Othen
That is an interesting point. The market drives down margins, which we are all happy with because it makes things cheap in the shops, but the consequence is little redundancy. The alternative is a centrally planned and controlled economy, but we saw that the communist experiment in the former USSR failed to supply the population well over the 70 years it lasted.
Our issues here in the UK are a large and wealthy population that has an enormous but unpredictable appetite. If cerise Nike trainers are suddenly in vogue then there will be a shortage of them, but the aubergine ones will be unsold on the shelves - but as you say Tannaton: no one will go without :-).
Alan
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You chose to interpret what I had said as an
'uncontrolled free market economy' , here is what you said [sic]:
Quote:
Originally Posted by pinballdave
Why does the alternative to an uncontrolled free market economy have to be full on communism? Maybe all the market needs is a little light touch regulation to temper the extremes of capitalism that may lead to a fragile economy, or maybe like in the case of the fuel crisis, the media and PR departments need a little guidance to be less sensationalist and not trigger a panic.
We seem to be living in polarised times, where a choice of two extreme views seems to be presented as the only options available, even when a perfectly acceptable compromise would seem to be the way forward.
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I corrected you with this piece, which is irrefutable given the above:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Othen
I don't think anyone is pretending we have uncontrolled free market economy here in the UK are they pinballdave? We have heaps of regulations, laws, rules and customs - some of which are helpful and others not. I certainly wouldn't advocate any more red tape or state involvement, we have seen very clearly how ineffective centrally controlled economies are in improving peoples' lives.
Alan
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You concede the piece about the market economy in the UK not being uncontrolled, that much is fine. You then go on to belittle my thesis (which if you remember was about a market economy vs a centrally controlled economy, not about left and right wing politics (although there is a non-causal connection)):
Quote:
Originally Posted by pinballdave
No, you're completely correct in that regard. But likewise I don't think anyone is pretending there is any likelihood of a Soviet style communist state ever replacing any western government. So why does it always seem to be trotted out by those on the right who want to reduce a left leaning argument into an absurd binary choice.
The left wingers have their own absurdist comparisons, and I find them equally childish and tiresome, and believe that anyone using them should be called out and ridiculed into submission.  |
I had no intention (and still do not) of making any political point. I do not know or care what are your political leanings, but I don't like you inferring things I have not said and then calling them 'equally childish and tiresome'.
This is a Volvo motor cars forum (and an excellent one which I find really useful). From time to time we enjoy discussing other vaguely associated matters and most correspondents do that in a respectful and usually light hearted manner (for example I enjoyed the discussion with John above about Lancaster bombers). I find it irritating that some correspondents feel the need to twist the subject towards support their own political or social views; perhaps I'll stop contributing to non-technical threads.
Good fortune to you,
Alan