[Robin Garwood] Keep swingin' Vick. [Vicky Heller] OK - here goes! [Garwood] How "free" am I when I live in Flint, MI, and GM destroys my town? [Heller] How could GM destroy your town? I would argue that labor priced itself out of the free market. GM can't compete in a global economy - its costs are too high. Which is better, closing plants or going bankrupt?
[Garwood] What does "freedom" even mean in such a circumstance? [Heller] It means that you can blame others for your circumstances, or you can seek and create opportunities for yourself. Some people prefer to be victims, others prefer to pursue happiness. Such is freedom. [Garwood] I am not "free" to continue living as I would like, ...... [Heller] Yes you are, but it requires some effort on your part. If I want to be a ballerina, I wouldn't expect you to support me while I "live as I would like." [Garwood] Similarly, the market exerts great force over consumption behavior. Advertising works, or corporations would not spend hundreds of billions on it a year. Despite the lack of a gun to one's head, the shaping of individual behavior to meet a certain norm is textbook coercion. [Heller] I don't think people are that stupid. I do think that our government schools fail to teach sound financial principles. Therefore, many people buy, buy, buy what they want, want, want -- whether they can afford it or not. I personally think that public schools are incapable of teaching young people how to create wealth -- because the concept is at odds with a government monopoly. [Garwood] Kinda makes me wonder why the city keeps funding the Seward neighborhood, since the past two chairs (correct title?) have run for office not with the DFL but with Minneapolis' only viable opposition party, the Greens. [Heller] Rather than one-party, I should have said one-ideology represented by three groups: Left, lefter, and leftist. The Greens are the middle group. There are no Rights, righters, and rightists in Minneapolis government. Thus, no debate, no competition. That was my point. Vicky Heller North Oaks REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
