A Socialist Tsunami

Quote from bigdavediode:

How about "not putting Melamine into food."

Quote from Vista:

I think that goes without saying.

Again, what would be appropriate restraints to place on a Free Market, other than restraints that keep Free Markets from depriving people of their life, liberty or property through either force or fraud?

Obviously, it didn't go without saying. The problem occurred.

The common theme in this type of problem is: profit motivation trumping public welfare. In this case: "Food and food additive producers add melamine to their products to "fake out" the lab test for total nitrogen commonly used as a secondary or "surrogate" indication of protein content.
With the pet food scandal, melamine addition allowed bulk protein supplement (gluten) distributors to charge more because the lab tests indicated relatively high (false) protein value."
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/09/got-melamine-china-contamination-milk.php
 
Quote from Vista:

The problem is markets were not allowed to be unrestrained. Liberals used to accuse banks of "redlining" (Research the Community Redevelopment Act). Political Correctness won. Banks were basically put into a half-nelson and forced to provide loans to lower income and/or undesirable credit applicants that should've been renting.

An alternative viewpoint:
http://www.morganhilltimes.com/opinion/248916-deregulation-is-reason-for-subprime-mortage-crisis

This debate could go back and forth endlessly, without resolution.

The welfare of the American public has been made subservient to special (corporate and government) interests, under the watchful eye of their elected officials. THAT is the root problem.
 
Quote from Fractals 'R Us:

The question becomes, how do you position yourself for easily forseeable events? It seems obvious that taxes, inflation, unemployment and government spending and debt are all set to soar.

One word: Andorra

A man after my own heart. Best advice I have seen on ET yet.
 
Quote from TGregg:

Not that McCain will be much better. Voters favor more government and more socialism in overwhelming numbers. The question becomes, how do you position yourself for easily forseeable events? It seems obvious that taxes, inflation, unemployment and government spending and debt are all set to soar.

One concept might be that urban areas will be hit the hardest. The usual city killers of higher crime, more taxes, lower property values and bad schools will have more teeth. Once they reach critical mass, people that can will leave the city, which will cause an escalation of the problems that made them leave. Which causes more to leave until the city is the new Detroit.
==========================

Thoughtful points T-Gregg.
Actually Senator Mc Cain has been[track record/]should be much better;
appointing right judges,
appointing FCC/board,
2nd ammendment.............................................................

And MR McCain is very very old-yes, Sarah;
and Mr Mcain[very, very very old] is NO-where near the most liberal USA Senator-B Hussein is.

And Senator MCain did mock & strive with Jerry Falwell years ago;
he seems to realize that was a costly mistake;
compare to Seantor B Hussein, mocking believers in God & guns.
:cool:
 
Quote from murray t turtle:

==========================

Thoughtful points T-Gregg.
Actually Senator Mc Cain has been[track record/]should be much better;
appointing right judges,
appointing FCC/board,
2nd ammendment.............................................................

And MR McCain is very very old-yes, Sarah;
and Mr Mcain[very, very very old] is NO-where near the most liberal USA Senator-B Hussein is.

And Senator MCain did mock & strive with Jerry Falwell years ago;
he seems to realize that was a costly mistake;
compare to Seantor B Hussein, mocking believers in God & guns.
:cool:

And they say that Republican supporters are half-wits who can't type two sentences with a spelling error.

You showed them.
 
Quote from bigdavediode:

No, it didn't obviously, because it happened.

No one was deprived of life due to melamine in food, that anyone can actually prove.

So your philosophy that someone needs to be deprived of "life" or "property" is wafer thin.

No ones life need be deprived in this case, there is fraud involved and a serious breech of confidence, which in time a free market will sort out on its own. Menu Foods Limited does not have the same brand confidence today, as they had before this happened. I'm sure buyers are fully aware.

Again, what would be appropriate restraints to place on a Free Market, other than restraints that keep Free Markets from depriving people of their life, liberty or property through either force or fraud?
 
Quote from Vista:

No ones life need be deprived in this case, there is fraud involved and a serious breech of confidence, which in time a free market will sort out on its own.

You're right -- someone was defrauded of .001% of protein. That's not even worth worry about as a fraud case.

I wonder why people got so upset about it.

Menu Foods Limited does not have the same brand confidence today, as they had before this happened. I'm sure buyers are fully aware.

I wasn't. But I am pleased to know that only a few babies died so that everybody could have perfect knowledge and be fully aware.

Or, we could have a regulatory system in place to prevent these cases, like China obviously doesn't have.

Again, what would be appropriate restraints to place on a Free Market, other than restraints that keep Free Markets from depriving people of their life, liberty or property through either force or fraud?

Regulations and testing of foodstuffs seems like an obvious one.

Maybe people to prevent meat sales of tainted meat or meat that is likely at the end of its shelf life and may become dangerous in the future, you know, we could call them inspectors.

Or we could let a few people die and then clog the courts while everybody becomes "fully aware." Your way is good too, and bloody hell it would be entertaining.
 
Quote from bigdavediode:

Or, we could have a regulatory system in place to prevent these cases, like China obviously doesn't have.

Regulations and testing of foodstuffs seems like an obvious one.

Maybe people to prevent meat sales of tainted meat or meat that is likely at the end of its shelf life and may become dangerous in the future, you know, we could call them inspectors.

We already have inspectors and in 2007 added even more.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/04/24/food.melamine/index.html

Grocery stores employees are quite capable of pulling their own meat (no pun intended). As customers, if we don't like the look of the meat, don't buy it. More inspectors are not needed and only add to the costs of your food.
 
Quote from Vista:

We already have inspectors and in 2007 added even more.[/url]

*Facepalm*

Well that's a good idea to have these people regulating private businesses. I'm glad to hear that you support this rather than, say, getting rid of all inspectors which clearly would be dangerous.

Grocery stores employees are quite capable of pulling their own meat (no pun intended).

:)

As customers, if we don't like the look of the meat, don't buy it. More inspectors are not needed and only add to the costs of your food.

So your position is that if you squint enough you can see the e-coli. You sir, have very, very good eyes.

Here's another thought -- we set up government labs for the inspectors and we let them test for dangerous contaminants, or contaminants that might make us sick.

Since you've already agreed to have inspectors regulating, that seems like a logical step.
 
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