Comments on: There’s No Such Thing As Free Predation

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Yes, I’m hopelessly confused as to how the teachings of the Frankfurt School became the norm amongst liberal academics in America!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:42:00 +0000

Nope, apparently you’re still hopelessly confused. Oh well, I gave it a shot.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:58:00 +0000

“Aha! I see the confusion.”

Great! You now realize that you are a knee-jerk RDB! You will work to cull your comments of clear anti-business metaphors! This is real growth! Welcome to America!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:48:00 +0000

Aha! I see the confusion.

That wasn’t a metaphor for business – it was an example of behavior that is simultaneously voluntary and predatory. I never said business was a sneaky, fanged creature, if you’ll review the comments.

By: Ladeda

Ladeda — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:06:00 +0000

Troll! In the dungeon!

Just thought you should know, Mr. Kuehn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:12:00 +0000

“I don’t like this ‘business is evil’ instinct that some people have.”

vs.

Here’s a metaphor for business: sneaky, fanged creature luring deep-sea guppy to its death.

The Frankfurt School is strong with you, RDB.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:19:00 +0000

How is that contradictory?

I don’t think business is evil, but I don’t think it’s perfect either.

I don’t think the state is evil, but I absolutely think it can be predatory. If the state can be not evil but predatory at times, why can’t business be not evil but predatory at times?

Please explain the contradiction. There’s no Frankfurt School, shadow-socialism about it. It’s hard headed realism. There’s no reason to think businesses can’t be predatory. And even if we were naive enough to entertain the prospect that they can’t be, the fact that businesses engage in voluntary exchange doesn’t offer any proof of that naive assumption.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:09:00 +0000

You say that you don’t like this “business is evil” instinct and then feed us a metaphor wherein business is committing fraud just prior to murder. So you have two contradictory points, not only one. You can’t help yourself because the Frankfurt School took over your mind, just as it took over the minds of all the other RDBs in this country. You HAVE to criticize free enterprise if someone else criticizes government; it’s autonomic.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Huh? My only point was that simply identifying that behavior is voluntary says nothing about whether it is predatory. Nothing. I have no idea what communism has to do with that.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:27:00 +0000

There’s no such thing as a last round of trading at Wal-Mart… as with most corps. But it’s good to have commies commenting at CH. More cartoons, please!

How about some aphids and ants?

By: Justin P

Justin P — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:10:00 +0000

I thought to myself, “Ah, but your medical care is “free.”

Couldn’t help but laugh at that one.

I’m sure they have a lower unemployment too, I mean with their Government supplying all that G to consumption right? /snark

By: Randy

Randy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Politicians are exploiters, but usually not predators. People farmers, not hunters.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Looks like an IRS agent to me.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:44:00 +0000

RE: “Businesses, on the other hand, operate on a strictly voluntary basis with no predation involved whatsoever.”

I don’t like this “business is evil” instinct that a lot of people have, but this line is a little weak. After all, these guys are approaching on a strictly voluntary basis too: http://tinyurl.com/ylktyck

I’d say he’s still a predator.