Comments for Nathan's Blog

Comment on Profit Is NOT Evil by Jonathan White

Jonathan White — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:15:52 +0000

Whos to say that inhibiting progress is inherently wrong? Progress doesn’t always evoke good. And a lot of the good that is created from progress evokes a lot of bad things. The use of chemical fertilizer was groundbreaking for humanity and allows populations of society that have the means to take advantage of it sky rocket. Is more people such a good thing? Over crowded societies are harmful to the society itself.

This is just a secular perspective. In a christian perspective there would be many arguments for why human progress is essentially bad for the people.

Comment on Kent Hovind to Prison by nala

nala — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:39:26 +0000

Nathan
Honestly, if you truly and sincerely had the smallest amount of sympathy for Hovind and his family, you would have never come up with this ridiculous site. So pretty much just save your smack talk and get a life!!!! I mean you wait till the man is in jail to ramble on about him!!! how sad. But you know what, non of this matters and im sure he would care less about what you think!! Because nothing you say will take away his salvation and harm him!!!! it just jeopardizes yours! I mean it doesn’t matter what you believe there is a heaven and hell!!!! And our creator- GOD! where will you be when you die?

Comment on If Your Church is Turning Evil … err … Purpose Driven by remedyconnect.org -- it was never meant to be this way...

remedyconnect.org -- it was never meant to be this way... — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:47:07 +0000

[...] just ran across a great post today on Nathan Rice’s Blog (ok, ok, he wrote it in 2007, but I just ran across it today) where Nathan published a list of ways [...]

Comment on Scare Us, then Lead Us to Safety by Trent Eady

Trent Eady — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:59:53 +0000

You might enjoy this book: http://www.mcclelland.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780771032998

I did, immensely.

Comment on On the Tyranny of Many by Kenneth Newman

Kenneth Newman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:19:27 +0000

Agreed, I just want people to know not to defend fraud because they’re confused about their right to charge 30%. Its the deliberate calculated deception that pisses me off about those credit card companies and mortgage lenders. I think we agree on that. I’d like them to use our tax money to get those criminals rather then waste it on wars.

Comment on Profit Is NOT Evil by Nathan Rice

Nathan Rice — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:01:44 +0000

They would, perhaps, be too general if someone wasn’t familiar with libertarian philosophy.
Man is naturally free … completely free. Through a social contract (Federal and State constitutions and local municipal elections), we concede certain freedoms to be restricted. The liberties we concede can categorized as those liberties that could, when exercised, limit the liberties of another.

To put it simply … your freedom to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose.

Therefore, if a corporation decides to exercise economic liberties by stealing, defrauding, or murdering someone, they’ve violated that person’s right to life, liberty, and property. The government exists exclusively as a means of protecting the liberties of the people it represents.

Telling a corporation how much they can charge customers for a service, or how much profit is “reasonable”, does not fall into the category of protecting anyone’s liberty. It only restricts it.

I really didn’t address the philosophy behind the profit/innovation correlation. Hopefully the post makes more sense in light of my philosophy on Government.

Comment on On the Tyranny of Many by Nathan Rice

Nathan Rice — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:37:59 +0000

Any libertarian worth his salt knows the rule of law is vital to a free society. Freedom can’t be unbridled, but the limitations should be reasonable and few. Of course we have to punish fraud and theft. But we can’t protect people from making bad decisions.

I’m not an anti-regulation guy … I just don’t want the regulations to be unreasonable (or unconstitutional). Punish fraud, deception, theft, etc. I’m all for that. But I’m afraid that this isn’t enough for some people. Some people think it’s immoral for credit card companies to charge 30% interest. I say they have a right to charge me 30% interest, and I have a right to never use their card. That’s economic liberty.

What they shouldn’t be allowed to do is contractually agree to 10% interest, then jack it up to 30% on my balance without telling me. That’s fraud.

Comment on On the Tyranny of Many by Kenneth Newman

Kenneth Newman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:44:27 +0000

Nathan, you’re a programmer, so you understand systems. You understand the difference between the idea and the implementation. I believe that some ideas are good, some bad. The implementation of most ideas (on all sides) seem to be faulty, ie, Bush AND Obama. The problem is with an unchecked free market tycoons, the Wall Street guys, because they are frauds. A free market needs regulation: no lying, no deception, no coercion, free participation (or not), all relevant info available to both parties, among other things. Reading Adam Smith’s book: The Wealth of Nations, he tells that publicly funded education is a requirement to a capitalist society.

Comment on Profit Is NOT Evil by Kenneth Newman

Kenneth Newman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:35:18 +0000

Your statements are too general.

“Profit potential incentivizes innovation.”
This, in certain cases, ie., with certain constraints may be true (within a truly free market, not “free market” as widely understood); in others, it’s not true (usually stealing and robbery are not very innovative).

“Restrict profit, or demonize it, and you inhibit progress.”
This, of course, as a statement has little value. Even the most hard-core libertarian believes in some restriction, ie., prohibition against fraud and robbery. Also, to seek profit, above all other values for example, IS evil. Murdering competition for an advantage or profit should be demonized. Doing so “incentivizes”, and does not inhibit progress.

My problem with such generalities is that people end up believing such shortcuts of thought literally, and without qualification or exception.

Markets are great, but they are NOT the greatest good. Profit is good, but not in and of itself. Context isn’t optional.

In short, the idea you present isn’t worthy of imitating a great saying of wisdom.

Comment on On Healthcare by GaryS California health insurance

GaryS California health insurance — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:42:18 +0000

Health insurance doesnt work in the US. If you cant afford it (it is very expensive) you dont have it. We do have programs to provide insurance to those that cant afford it,
but it is primarily for children. You can choose any treatment you want as long as you are going to pay for it. If you do have insurance the insurance company pretty much
tells you what they will pay for, otherwise you are on your own. Insurance companies rule in the US, and if you dont like it…..too bad.