The Much Richer Poor

8 Replies to “The Much Richer Poor”

1. Who can argue … EXCEPT … that little dig about “Free Trade”. Let me remind everyone that FREE Trade = FAIR Trade. Not gerrymandered Trade that puts training wheels on Communist China’s poor, poor, Communist early education learners of Capitalism

   1. I get Prager on email. Free trade has never been free in my lifetime. There are always those pesky little cut outs. NAFTA was a freaking joke. Canada lost billions in trade with the US and it has been downhill ever since with the socialists in control of Canada.

2. 1. If the government of South Korea subsidizes its auto exports one should not throw a hissy-fit. Rather, one should write a thank you note to the Korean taxpayer who is making cars cheaper for us thus increasing our purchasing power.

   2. If Americans want me to buy their cars wouldn’t it be a great idea to make better cars?

   3. Given a choice between exploitation of labour and starvation of labour what would you choose? The greatest famine in human history happened during the Great Leap Backward. That was under Chinese Communists, not Japanese capitalists.

   1. Mr Peat, ford makes the best auto engines in the world, so how do you propose they inprove on the “best”

      1. What Chinese Communist Party Oligarch wouldn’t like to own a Ford … tariff-free?

         https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-Ford-GT-d350#listing=149111285

3. the key is who OWNS what. the measure of wealth called, whut you gots yer name on the title?
   the fact access to such-and-such increases with innovation driven by free enterprise is a related but distinctly SEPARATE issue.

   on that, I still contend that a host of developments like the doubling and tripling(?) of hydro rates in ontariowe and the innumerable taxes, AND ‘panama papers’ behaviour of the top echelon continues to point to an outcome where the OWNERSHIP of resources and assets migrates to an ever DECREASING number of hands. the rest of us get to access and use (for a fee! !!) but not OWN said resources. THAT is the measure of wealth.

   and a sure way to accelerate the process is leave the wretchedly poor with ever decreasing resources so they will agree to ANYTHING to see them thru another day. ‘pile it on !!!! we’se almos’ dere !!!’. do tell, those in favour of the ‘market’ having free reign (nothing is ‘free’) and scant regulation, whut is the plan when corrupt politishuns at the behest of the folks over at the ‘commission’ decide it’s time to boost property taxes oh, say, 10,000 % by the end of the year (with the appropriate exemptions for, hmmmm, I got it !!! corporations that own property !!!) and the entire city goes up for sale, at fire sale prices, and then, just as suddenly the tax rate plunges to 0.0002 %. can’t ‘appen you say. and why not? the process of dumbing down is well on its way. just look at what stands for ‘curricula’ today.

   p.s. capitalism does NOT equal free enterprise.

4. I agree whole-heartedly with the presenter. The differences between rich and poor are lessening not growing. In the eighteenth century the difference in food between rich and poor could be the difference between a cornucopia of plenty and starvation, in clothing the difference between ermine robes and rags, in shelter the difference between a palace and a dirt-floored hut in which the people huddled with the animals to keep warm, in education between a grand tour of the continent and illiteracy, in entertainment between travel, fetes and games of dice. The range of opportunities available for the majority in our day and age in food, clothing, shelter, travel, entertainment, education and especially health care far exceeds what was available to our not so distant ancestors. A price-regulated free-market economy is the source of this bounty. Government regulations which optimize transparency and appropriate infrastructure spending can be helpful. Command economics and government ownership of the means of production have invariably stifled economic advancement.

   1. America has the FATTEST, amply fed, POOR people in the HISTORY of the world.

      However, not to sound like Dr Mengele … but America’s POOR are so well-cared-for that they are overbreeding a vast underclass in America. Because the leftist government has incentivized breeding. Each child = another check, another benefit, thru AID for dependent children. We have interfered with Darwinism … and we are now breeding our way to the destruction of our culture. We have fooled with nature, and reversed Darwinism. It won’t end well.