How Competition is Bad

Competition isn't the great perfect system it's often assumed to be in our society. I discuss some of its problems.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Competition
• Capitalism
• Free
• Market
• Libertarian
• Socialism
• Winner
• Loser
• Mental
• Illness
• Western
• Society
• Individualism

[Siva3Enthroned]

@JWH91969 You have an extremely naive conception of Capitalism if you think it's any different sweetheart.

[bweazel]

Competition is an integral part of our society. You presented many theories here, but didn't back it up with any substance at all. 2:40 So I guess you will be spending your money for charity then, for the greater good of course.

[JWH91969]

When you walk away & go somewhere else, essentially you are now giving them incentive to compete for your patronage, time, & or effort. All socialism does is hold back progress by monopolizing & or restricting choices. This is one of the reasons it fails. If it weren't for competition, most of what we have made or have done would not have been possible.

[JWH91969]

Competition drives incentive & incentive drives freedom of choice. Without incentive why would anyone do anything? Socialism will only work when there is no longer a need for money or capital. Capitalism is trust plane & simple. If you don't trust, you walk away & don't give them your business or time.

[Stephen5000]

@adjohnson916 For starters: quit putting words into my mouth.

Secondly, this all comes from my statement that the competition for profits doesn't always lead to what is beneficial to society. (and how could it unless specific persons' profits are the be-all and end-all of society?) What is good for some people in the short term (e.g. short-term profit) isn't necessarily what is best for them in the long term or what is best for anyone else.

[adjohnson916]

@Stephen5000 How do we know this? Since we're unable to make rational decisions for ourselves, we can't trust our own opinions of government, right? We can't trust our own voter choices in elections. So that isn't a solution to the problem of people making what you consider "irrational" choices, is it? Unless you don't believe in democracy. Which, like I said, seems fascist.

[Stephen5000]

@adjohnson916 Governments of all types already do this to some extent or another.

[adjohnson916]

@Stephen5000 Who should be tasked with predicting the future and rationally calculating this overarching "benefit to society"? So they then get to make certain "irrational" market activities illegal? Sounds kinda fascist. Unless you had another solution...

[Stephen5000]

@adjohnson916 You realize that there is a difference between what someone sees as satisfactory at one point in time and what is ultimately beneficial to them and society.