Rights and corporations (George Mason Q&A)

This is an excerpt from the Q&A at a talk delivered by Yaron Brook at George Mason University on November 3, 2011. The talk was titled "Wall Street or Washington: Who's to Blame?" In this excerpt, Dr. Brook discusses whether free speech rights apply to corporations.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• corporation
• individual rights
• free market
• free speech
• government
• politics
• capitalism
• communism
• socialism
• fascism
• yaron brook
• ayn rand
• freedom

[SpellboundSolution]

$100,000,000 a year is not lobbying, it's protection money.

[egervari]

@scepticsteve Here's your answer.

youtube.com/watch?v=dLkKKeFYJv­Q

[egervari]

@scepticsteve I think another point too that is very important.

Ron's plan, while not perfect and immediately taking us to the kind of society Ayn Rand talked about, is a step in that direction. Every other candidate is a step in the generally opposite direction. Gary Johnson excluded - I like a lot of his ideas as well.

In some ways, Ron has to get elected. If he ran on a pure platform without transition, I don't think he'd have a chance in hell. That's not inconsistent though.

[egervari]

@scepticsteve I just think it's a tad dishonest to look at the plan for the first 4 years, but ignore what he's been saying for the last 30, and still continues to say. He has never wavered or lied about what should happen in the long run.

[egervari]

@scepticsteve I'm looking at his positions on his website now and he's giving out tax breaks in a rediculous number of areas that I don't think a single individual in the country would not get some form of a tax break.

I agree that the tax breaks are not exactly equal. I still believe Ron when he says a transition. I do agree with you that it is not a perfect policy. It is better than what we have, and if given 4 more years, I genuinely believe he would do more of his endgame.

[scepticsteve]

@egervari Look up his official website, there are many entries that I disagree with. Under "energy" he states the tax credits for "alternative fuels", i.e. corn ethanol in Iowa and elsewhere (although that's not a president's business, imho). Maybe you should talk about the issues instead of reaffirming how great Ron Paul is. Then we can influence politics in general instead of dividing over specific candidates.

[scepticsteve]

@egervari Fascism (from Italian/Roman fasces, wooden sticks that surround an axe as a symbol of Roman state power) narrowly means using the force of government to achieve goals. You can have perfect property rights but still a fascist state (although often property rights are the first victims).

Socialist by definition are fascist, they seek to achieve their utopia by government/collective force, not voluntary exchange.

I think by that definition fascism is widespread, yes.

[scepticsteve]

@egervari Look it up in an encyclopedia. Tax credits are a parade example of subsidies. Changing incentives via different tax rules picks winners and loser. This is a subsidy. That's a fact, not an opinion open for debate. And it's wrong.

It is a wealth transfer. If you know economics 101 you know that this will pick winners (corn ethanol) and losers (conventional fuel).

All I ask is that you acknowledge this is a bad proposition by Paul and he should change it to become better.

[scepticsteve]

@egervari If you pick winners and losers that's exactly the kind of meddling we don't want. If you give tax credits to one form of fuel but not to all others, that's government influence over the conomy, i.e. fascism.

I've see this argument by Paulistas a lot. Why do you try to defend that stuff? The issue is clear, giving alternative fuels an advantage is meddling. If I tax you with 50% while giving others a 45% effective tax rate that's picking winners since you don't give it to all!

[egervari]

@scepticsteve Ron has said that he has to pick and choose where he can cut from government from where he can't. He has to prioritize. That doesn't mean that is his vision. He can't do everything in a day - no president can. We are in so much shit.

Besides I genuinely and honestly wouldn't say these points are fascists. He has violated no property rights. He's letting them keep their own money. How is that fascist?