[Stonemason]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0nERTFo-Sk

Here's a review:

http://mises.org/daily/4095

This video goes into the differences between the Keynesian ecomomics and those of the Austrian school, mostly Hayek. It may be interesting to Peak Oilers because of the basis of Hayek's message, real wealth comes from savings and investment using current resources, and of course no state intervention into the market.

[mattduke]

Haha I love it.

[Stonemason]

A lot of interesting threads run through economics as pertains to peak oil. The government intervention in the market that has lead to overspending with borrowed money rather than saving and living within our means. The government counting on what they do best, steal money from individuals, to pay for programs that now because of said intervention is now unable to extract the same amount of revenue to sustain the infrastructure.

This is a really good video highlighting the Keynesian school of economics and the Austrian school of economics. Many of our problems in the present can be traced back to the debate between these differing economic visions in the last century which culminated in the so-called triumph of Keynes and the government intervention into the market, and growth based on future debt. Hayek and the Austrians of course favouring savings as actual wealth and investment based on sound acculumated wealth.

People want someone to blame, either left wing or right wing, the giant red herring of our age. The state cannot save the economy. The state is a parasite to the economy. It can only divert resources from the market to one project or another. It only subsidizes that which is not profitable and disincentivises that which is productive. Coercion removes incentive and motivation and increases procrastination and hopelessness. Taxation is theft. The state is the embodiment of force and coercion in direct opposition to the voluntary exchange of services and goods between consenting individuals.

You cannot solve the problem using the instrument that caused it.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Stonemason', ' ')The state cannot save the economy. The state is a parasite to the economy..

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Stonemason', ' ')The state is the embodiment of force and coercion in direct opposition to the voluntary exchange of services and goods between consenting individuals.

[Stonemason]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Stonemason', ' ')The state cannot save the economy. The state is a parasite to the economy..

[Stonemason]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Stonemason', ' ')The state is the embodiment of force and coercion in direct opposition to the voluntary exchange of services and goods between consenting individuals.

[mattduke]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Stonemason', ' ')The state cannot save the economy. The state is a parasite to the economy..

[SeaGypsy]

Planning and zoning controls are often very anti competitive and seem to operate to protect vested interests not the interests of free trade or the consumer.

For example, my 2 home countries operate at opposite ends of the poles on this.

In Australia, one would be insane to even think about setting up a shopfront without $100,000 in the bank to begin with. Fork out about $10k in legals. Wait months for approvals. Pay quadruple residential rent for the shop. Pay commercial property tax. Then finally fit out the shop and stock it. Oops, don't forget to pay all the tradies involved $100 an hour and your staff costs a few months in advance. Your $100k is gone by the time you open the doors, you will be closing them permanently if the business is not successfull within 3 months or so.

In the Philippines, I just registered 2 businesses last week. Total cost $15 (USD). Rent $0 because it is a touristy business and the local government have given us a place to do it (right in front of their hall, 50 meters to the beach, on the main street.). We are building a demountable to accomodate the shop, cost under $1k. Tradesmen $10 a day. Staff $5 a day. Total to open the doors/ under $1500. Also we have the choice to pay our tax to the local government directly or to the national government. (We chose the former/ hence the free rent). Anybody in any residential property can set up a family business. If you have no property you can run it out of a bicycle or on foot.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mattduke', '
')Money is a free market phenomenon Ludi. The spontaneous phenomenon springs anew in isolated villages, in prisons and pow camps, etc. That it has been abrogated by the state (and subsequently fallen in value 96%) is an example of the destructive nature of the state, not some "service".

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', 'P')lanning and zoning controls are often very anti competitive and seem to operate to protect vested interests not the interests of free trade or the consumer.

[Stonemason]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'I') guess I'm just not sure how the state is preventing people from exchanging goods and services. Even in the above examples, I'm not sure that the state is really concerned. If a man wants to exchange food for sex, by taking a lady out for dinner before going back to his motel room with her, it's unlikely the state will give a rat's ass.

[Stonemason]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'N')obody is preventing you from exchanging gifts with your neighbors. Why you would think of yourself or your neighbors as "consumers" is a bit weird to me.