How can a pro-capitalist ayn rand parrot be pissed off at gas prices?

[Deja Q]

It's just capitalism. Supply and demand.

Why should he complain?

Oh, that's right... capitalism isn't working for him regarding gas prices. So then it's okay to complain and try to tapdance around the core issue... which is still capitalism. Same rules.

[JamesTee]

1. Who are you talking about?

[dcfirefighter]

2. Because he hasn't objectively assessed the situation

Despite her espousal of objectivism.

Capitalism only works in manufactured goods, and services. It doesn't work in non-manufactured goods, such as oil, coal, air, water, etc.

Prices go up, factories get built, work overtime, hire more workers, supply goes up, prices go down.

Not so with oil:
Prices go up, oil deposits don't get built, ...

Plus the capital associated with petroleum refining is expensive and slow to build:

Wells must be sunk, pipelines must be laid, refineries must be built, tankers must be sailed - all of which require a lot of investment. You can be sure they are in the works now, before the industrialized world switches to alternative energy sources.

[Deja Q]

3. Yes, but our system treats oil just like any other "commodity".

True, it doesn't work... but it didn't stop 'em from making it so.

[whatever4]

4. Hmmm

Well, I'd say for a lot of Ayn Rand parrots, and I am one, though a poor representative of the ideas, they see our current situation as being due to fascism - government and business entities working together, rather than capitalism.

I say it's our government, not our economics. Our voting was compromised. Our constitution has been ripped to shreds. Prisons are overflowing. The president lied and got us into a war. A really bad war. Those few issues have greatly damaged our nation, and NONE of them came about from capitalism.

In a capitalistic society, the need for consumers generally mandates that you don't abuse them too much, because they leave, or kill them off, 'cause then they're gone for good. It doesn't work well. Capitalism speaks AGAINST monopolies, not for them. Everyone thinks it's all about greed. They don't see the farmer on the side of the road selling produce, or the craftsmen or the maids or so MANY people that depend on the marketplace. Is that selfish greed? Shall we do away with the marketplace? Do away with money?

It's a thought, but not a popular one.

What other kind of economic system allows any sort of freedom in business? Communism? Is that what we want?

Don't point to this nation and think for a second that capitalistic economics had ANYTHING to do with problems, even gas prices. Large car companies went out of their way to suppress better cars, but why were they able to do that? Did anybody FORCE us to buy suv's? No. Not at all. And oil production isn't IN the hands of the people; don't the feds control everything about bringing oil into the country, aren't their hands all over that process?

These issues and more point me to seeing it as fascism, and that's not capitalism. It's not even close. We were supposed to have rights, and they were supposed to safeguard us from being run over by our government and businesses both. When we lost those, nothing else mattered. Might have well have been communistic. It wouldn't have mattered.

I'm sorry this is too disjointed to be a very good comment to you, but I think you can see where I'm going. Free market place, some think it's too dog-eat-dog, but I think fascism has a lot more to do with our economic problems than free market. Unless you think this government of ours really does want to help us, when they gave nothing but cash to the energy companies. Just a few weeks ago.

[Tactical Progressive]

5. Because other people getting fucked

is just good ol' American style capitalism; tough luck.

When they get fucked, that's a whole different story. Right-wingers - conservative, libertarian, republican, whatever - are the biggest whiners you'll ever hear when they end up on the wrong side of their own greedy ideology. To a man they resent it whenever a dollar leaves their pocket, and if there is any sense that they are being 'taken advantage of', as in it's a free market don't buy it if you don't want to pay that price, that resentment comes out in full force. Their sanctimonious, callous and phony self-reliant Marlboro Man attitude is nowhere to be found. Who would have guessed.

You watch, as the oil crisis gets worse and the economy deflates, it will be the right-wingers whining the loudest. The crybabies are always the bullies when they're not on top.

Just for fun, tell them you bought oil stocks when Bush and Cheney stole the White House, before the price increases and stock runups. Say you hope the price doubles from here, cause you believe in capitalism even if the whiners don't.