[LINK] So, you're worried about RFID?

[Stilgherrian]

At 15:41 +1000 20/8/04, Deus Ex Machina wrote:
>business is about creating value.

I agree 100%. That is the purpose of a business.


>businesses that dont create value for
>customers and staff dont create value for shareholders.

I agree, more or less. I would pout a "tend to" in there. This is not 
an absolute.


>business that
>create value for the comunity prosper, one that dont disapear.

I disgree. I'd re-state this as "Businesses which can successfully 
sell a product/service to enough people to turn a profit can 
prosper." There need be no net benefit for "the community". A 
pathological case would be a tobacco company.


>if rfid
>is a community issue that the community is against then nothing need be
>done other then to sit back and watch the business that adopt it go
>broke.

I disagree with the idea that "nothing need be done other than". It 
assumes perfect knowledge of all players, a "perfect market" (in 
whatsisname's theoretical sense) and an equal power relationship. 
These conditions do not exist.


>property rights are a fundamental building block of modern prosperity.
>without respect for property rights you have socialism or other
>equivalent evils.

I will agree that "property rights are a fundamental building block 
of modern capitalism". No argument there. And I will agree that 
modern capitalism has resulted in many westerners becoming prosperous.

I contend that this may or may not have resulted in a *general* 
increase in prosperity globally -- I don't know enough about global 
economics to tell that -- and I am tempted to think that you and most 
Linkers aren't either.

To use a phrase like "socialism or other equivalent evils" is to 
*assert* that socialism in its myriad forms is inherently "evil" 
(cheap rhetorical trick!). This is disingenuous.

(Please note: I'm not saying that socialism is good, either. I'm 
merely pointing out the logical flaws in your statements -- at least 
least where you're asserting an opinion rather than proving a case. 
There's not enough information there to assume anything about my own 
personal political views.)


>  > Or are you suggesting that *any* criticism of a business' operations,
>>  or any suggestion which limits the 'freedom" of business in any way
>>  whatsoever, or any investigation of the negative aspects of a new
>>  technology, is is "anti-capitalist"?
>
>you have a freedom of speech, criticise all you like. but you have no
>right to tell business how to make commercial decisions. if you want
>that right go join the boards of business you want to run.

I notice you avoid addressing my question about whether you see any 
criticism of business as "anti-capitalism" c.f. McCarthyist 
"anti-American activities".

If I have "freedom of speech", then actually I *do* have the right to 
tell business how to make commercial decisions. If I'm not on the 
board, or more accurately if I'm not representative of a majority of 
shareholders, then the business then has the "right" to ignore me.


>  > In an earlier post I mentioned that I don't know much about RFID. I'm
>>  still in that boat. But I don't think that aggressively telling
>>  people "There are no problems. You're being anti-capitalist" will
>>  re-assure them.
>
>its a question of facing reality.

Reality as asserted by your good self without evidence or argument.


>  >Toryist
>>  capitalism is not the only way of viewing the world.
>
>I dont know where you live

Sydney. It says so on my .sig. :)


>but I cant tell the difference
>between the economic policies of our labor and liberal parties nor 
>the equivalent
>uk parties.

Then you need to look more closely. :) They're close, yes, but there 
are key differences, apparently. This is, of course, outside both our 
specialities...


>I venture to say that your statement is more of a plea for a
>vision of a western politics then a claim as to where its at.

Maybe. But if I *do* have a plea, it would be a personal request to 
see the world is slightly less black-and-white terms, and to realize 
that someone doesn't become "anti-capitalist" simply because they 
challenge a viewpoint that you hold. And I will try to do the same, 
in a vice versa kind of way.

Stil


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