Economic Freedom?
by Mr. Ogre on Mar 1, 2011 at 13:26 Political
I’ve heard people claim that America is the “land of the free.” I’ve even heard them say, “At least we have economic freedom.” Well, not really. Certainly not according to Bronx City Councilman James Vacca. You see, Mr. Vacca says:
They’re obligated to be in sync with surrounding gasoline prices in the immediate community.
In other words, you, as a person who invests your time and money in a business; a person who takes the risk with your capital and resources; you who can buy things that people want; have no right to determine how much money you will make. Your profits are, according to Mr. Vacca, supposed to be exactly what Mr. Vacca says that they should be, and not one dime more. Because, of course, if everyone else raises their prices with you, then you would be guilty of collusion.
Mr. Vacca hates freedom, plain and simple. The fact that there are other gas stations just blocks away with lower prices, instead of satisfying Mr. Vacca, infuriates him. Mr. Vacca gets to decide what everyone should pay for gas, and he doesn’t give a damn how much it costs the gas station owner to obtain that gas. So according to Mr. Vacca, you are not free to buy and sell things in America — at least not without getting his personal permission and approval of your profit margin.
Oh, and keep in mind — as the gas prices rise and people start again complaining about the “obscene profits” made on gas — the entity that makes the MOST “profit,” by far, on each gallon of gas sold is the government. The average gas station in America earns 2.7 cents per gallon of gas sold. On average, the government makes 45.9 cents per gallon sold.
[tip]If you enjoy what you read consider signing up to receive email notification of new posts. There are several options in the sidebar and I am sure you can find one that suits you. If you prefer, consider adding this site to your favorite feed reader. If you receive emails and wish to stop them follow the instructions included in the email.[/tip]
Tags: economics 101, freedom
The gas stations in question sit on city land and operate under an agreement with the city. These are not regular gas stations. You had to leave that fact out of the story in order to make it seem like Vacca wants to lord over every gas station in the area and hates freedom. My question for you is have you ever met a person that you didn’t think hated freedom? And does that not start to make you think maybe your view of freedom is the distorted one and not the rest of the universe?
Well, let me think…someone who doesn’t hate freedom…doesn’t hate freedom…you mean like, do I know any true homosexual men who aren’t “in it” for the sex? Someone who doesn’t hate freedom.
Dang Adam, you got me there! Everyone I know hates freedom.
Freedom isn’t a “view.” There isn’t a universe that has freedom and another with a “distortion.”
Wow, I have heard you say some weird creepy stuff but THAT was a winner. So, …how shall I put this diplomatically? So…retarded!
Of course, the fact that the city owns the land shows that he is for even less freedom — because he not only wants to personally own and control the land, but everything that happens on it — without ever spending a dime of his own money.
Of course. That is why he ran for office and having won a democratic election now sits on the committee that oversees the use of such public land in the city. How dare he now try and say how the land should be used or what happens on it. Freedom haters. They’re everywhere, man.
Democracy has zero to do with freedom, which is why it is a bad form of government, when considering freedom. This is also why a country was established in history as a Constitutional Republic, which, if there were one today, would actually support freedom. But I know you don’t like that idea, either.