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Old 19-12-05, 07:59 PM   #9
Mazer
Earthbound misfit
 
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Moses Lake, Washington
Posts: 2,563
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It doesn't work that way in a country with a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. If the people want to restrict the free market it's not greed, it's simply democracy in action. But you seem to think that democracy and capitalism are the same thing. Sorry, that just isn't so. Businesses aren't people, so to restrict the rights of corporate entities isn't the same thing as restricting the rights of the citizens. There are very important reasons why congress only represents the people and not the corporations.

Besides, the economy doesn't actually pit citizens against corporate entites, despite what labor unions claim. The economy prospers when the people and businesses both prosper, and business laws are drafted to help both groups. The labor laws you scoff at prevent lethal accidents at factorys and warehouses, drastically reducing the cost of liability insurance for employers. While the minimum wage may be a little high, it's better than paying unemployment to people you fired to reduce your payroll budget. I don't like greedy, corrupt labor unions any more than you do, but in most cases they're no better than the businesses they antagonize. Thanks to our government slave labor is now illegal, children are not allowed to work for more than a few hours a week and then only during the day, women are on the same pay scales as men, industrial accidents are kept to a minimum, foods and drugs are screened for contamination and their production is closely monitored, environmental pollution is kept to tollerable levels, cars are safer to drive, buildings are more fireproof, contracts are enforced by federal law, banks are more secure because they can't lend more money than they have in reserve, phone service is almost always available in emergencies, religious and racial prejudice by employers, money lenders, and insurance providers is reduced, citizenship is given to immigrants who work for it, healthcare is available to nearly everybody who needs it, price gouging by monopolies is prevented, trade secrets are protected, the trains run on time, etc., etc. Businesses pay a price for each of these burdons, but the cumulative benefit for society (businesses included) is incalculable. It would be criminal to allow business to sidestep any of these regulations.
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