Re: Price gouging is beneficial. Price gouging is great!

"Robert N. Newshutz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Bob LeChevalier wrote:
>> I did not claim that I did.  I found the attitudes expressed at that
>> time to be of subhuman morality.  My own feelings on the matter, and
>> my utter antipathy to libertarianism, came as a result. 
>
>That is too bad, because you demonstrate serious ignorance of 
>libertarianism.

I know more than I want to know.

>>>Would it have been better if they had stayed home and not brought 
>>>water into LA?
>> 
>> It would have been better if they had a shred of human decency.
>
>Sure, but that is not one of the choices you get.

Of course it is.  I consign those without human decency to the
category of "subhuman".

>Even if you force them to behave as you would wish they behave,

Force?  I wouldn't force them to do anything.  I am more interested in
*preventing* crime against humanity.

>>>>By contrast, in the recent Isabel storm,
>>>>electric companies bought up all the dry ice available for hundreds of
>>>>miles around and distributed it for free on a rationing basis.
>>>
>>>Good for them, charity is often an appropriate response to tragedy. 
>> 
>> It is the ONLY appropriate response to tragedy. 
>
>Not all tragedy can be mitigated by material goods.

Of course not.  But when it can, greed is not an emotion I care to
support.

> > Libertarians prefer greed, however.
>
>Nope, libertarians prefer people to be free from force.

Translation: they prefer selfish greed.

>Your plan to force other people to behave as you wish is not charity either.

I have no such plan.

>>>Were these utilities government run or private companies?
>> 
>> Utilities are (in this country) by their nature private companies with
>> strong governmental regulation.
>> 
>So another example of private parties acting faster than government.

Why would government do something when private companies are doing it?

>>>>They
>>>>may have been less than ideally efficient on getting the power back,
>>>>but at least they did take the immoral corner the market and then rip
>>>>everyone off stance that most libertarians think is perfectly fine.
>>>
>>>Your ignorace of the libertarian position hurts your credibility.
>>>
>>>Libertarians do not think it is fine to "corner the market" and then 
>>>"rip everyone off", because force is needed to "corner the market" 
>>>and/or to prevent competition which would spoil "rip everyone off".
>> 
>> Libertarians aren't afraid to use force. 
>
>Morality constrains libertarians from initiating force.

Bullshit.  Libertarians are thoroughly amoral when it comes to their
own actions.

lojbab
-- 
lojbab                                             [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bob LeChevalier, Founder, The Logical Language Group
(Opinions are my own; I do not speak for the organization.)
Artificial language Loglan/Lojban:                 http://www.lojban.org