[Ti] [OT} All this 'anti-piracy' stuff

[Jesse Brown]

On 5/4/03 9:27, "b" <galahad9 at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Whoa, I'm no socialist, but i did work for Wall St banks for a while,
> and let me explain something about Capitalism...Owners setting
> Prices [or. as you put it, making a 'decision on its value']???  What
> biz school did you learn that in?

What, What? Let me see now, I produce a product or service and set a price
based on the value of my labor and any raw materials that go into the
product. Now that price is either going to be acceptable or not depending on
the competition and desirability of the product. I think that¹s called
Business 101 in most every school I know of.

> Your so-called 'democratic'
> scenario only happens in Monopoly situations, or illegal situations,
> for example collusion between 'so-called' competitors.

My democratic senario is about voting with your pocketbook and nothing to do
with monopolies (where did that come from?)

> Pure capitalism, as regarding the 'Price' of any given item is all
> about supply and demand. price points are reached, over time, and
> constantly fluctuate. When the price reaches levels that people are
> either 'too willing to pay' [i.e. demand exceeds supply, the price
> rises], or 'unwilling to pay' [demand fails to materialize, and
> prices drop till demand picks up].

Thank you professor

 > Any system, whose prices are 'governed' by the owners of the means of
> production is either criminal, under our laws, or has been given
> artificial 'support' through law, price 'freezes', tolerance of
> monopolistic business practices, etc.

Tell that to Apple.  It could charge a lower price but doesn't. So I guess
Apple isn't determining it's prices? And besides you completely misread what
I wrote: "doesn't mean you have a right to it outside of the parameters of
the owners decision on it's value"

This has nothing to do with anti-trust or any of the stuff you are talking
about below, it's about what the owner says the product is worth to them.
And if the owner says He isn't going to go to the trouble, expense and
intellectual effort of producing a product for you to steal then they are
establishing a "value"


> Anti-trust Law must have
> sounded real American to you back in Civics class, but guess what?
> This is the real world, pal, and anti-trust hasn't actually been used
> to stop anything in ages. Look at the regional Bells, look at the
> slap on the wrist [not even] that Microsoft got, listen to the
> blatherings of Michael Powell over at the FCC, etc. What we have is
> an oligarchy using Congress to divide up tax money to subsidize the
> entrenched moneyed classes, and a White house, manned in name, by a
> guy who thinks the only problem with our economy is that rich people
> don't have enough money. That is a robber baron version of
> capitalism, and everyone from Adam smith to the most 'average'
> business admin student, knows it.

Oh please, hit me with the cluebat again sir, I didn't get a hard enough
whack the first time. Oligarchy? And Bush is right, we don't have enough
money, too much of it is spent on feeding the hand that bites us.

> Besides that, the fellow you responded to had a whacky grasp of
> things that had nothing to do with socialism, either. If you paid
> hard-earned cash for your education in Economics, I'd ask for a
> refund, pronto.

No actually, I got my education in the marketplace where I actually produce
something of value and determine it's price and when the market says it's
too high I readjust and when I've got a lock, I charge what the market will
bear.

I see I've strayed far from anything to do with Titanium Powerbooks, so I'll
leave off the topic but will be happy to debate further off list.

-- 
Jesse

'Tis sweet to hear the watch-dog's honest bark
    Bay deep mouth'd welcome as we draw near home;
'Tis sweet to know an eye will mark
    Our coming, and look brighter when we come.
- Lord Byron