Jon the way I see it is that ideas are free. They float around in the ether and are there to be caught and used like fish in the ocean. So far the governments haven’t learned how to control the harvest so they try to control the sharing. I gladly pay the stipend for your sharing. You have an interesting viewpoint that I often find myself at and that is comforting. On another note, the whole earth catalog jolted me into the past and I wanted to recommend “alcohol can be a gas” also I wanted to share a quote from a friend of mine “discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought”
Amen Brother. I make my living playing the piano. I can't count the times some ignorant twit invited me to play for their party and offered me drinks and barbecue. I use to decline the offer's by being polite. No thanks, I don't drink and I eat at home. My fee is $$$. Well, they balked at actually paying me. Now I'm more to the point-go fuck yourself. Jon is absolutly correct about the fundamental nature of economics. I have something to sell you want to buy. We come to an agreement on the price. The trade is beneficial to both parties. That is the root, the fundamental definition of Capitalism. Forget Marx's definition or Adam Smith or David Riccardo or Keynes or any other academic who baffles one with bullshit. It is stunningly simple-a voluntary trade between two or more people period.
There is one more thing-one should be happy to pay another for their work. Happy. It should make you feel good to compensate your fellow man for their labor. If it doesn't-then you're an evil prick.
"A guy makes a table. He sells it to another guy who wants it. That’s economics. Everything else is bullshit." LOL. Love it! What a profound and accurate definition of economics! Those 4 sentences would be the opening volley of my post-graduate thesis in economics. All the lefty professors would get hernias reading it. You're hilarious, Jon. More please.
An idea that I have about humanity's practices of trade, economy, and money is that as humanity matures further, spiritually and in our attitudes of brotherhood/family, the time will come when trade and money in all of its expressions will be recognized as impractical, inappropriate and a waste of time and effort (keeping track of who has how much money). This will be like a flower blooming in its own time. Forcing it will be destructive and unnatural. But allowing human nature to take its course, life will be more beautiful and delightful.
Economics is an invented scheme of number manipulation. Or that of trying to make sense of a money backed economy. Not even the "experts" understand the BS they present to the dumbed down public. It is mostly guessing, as is most of life. The only "economics" you need to pay any attention to are your own. Your method of income, saving, investing, spending and consuming. You have no control over anyone else's economics. And it's just numbers...simple adding and subtracting mostly. It is very easy for the government to lie about all of it. So they do.
Free stuff…the biggest boondoggle and marketing ploy ever invented. How’s that for a free good idea? Never mind factoring in the costs to sustain the minds who make the idea conscious and believable. The gullible want to believe there really is free stuff…
Volunteerism. At the Olympics, sporting events, etc. That’s giving away your labor for free, in the guise of sacrificing your time for the ‘greater good.’
In the meantime, the sponsors get free marketing and free labor.
Oh, and fund raising for a cause.
I use to do all of that but stepped back and took a look under the hood.
The reason I trashed my t-Shirts with any form of logos or advertising, whether vacation spots, ego products or “special events” (the victimization industry) is when I realized they were billboards and I was the idiot holding them up.
Does the problem lies within the public sector economy, if it's not balanced, does not serve a purpose in most sectors, who are working for the WEFEUWHO where the economy is not balanced, can they sell off the lands of the country, increase salaries at a whim, provided the person is willing to follow the orders placed in front of them, whether those actions are within the rules and regulations of their profession or laws of the country , it seems some have no value for the Fundamental Freedoms and Constitutional Rights of the people. Thou shalt not steal springs to mind, have they computerized most data, some of which does not belong to them, stopped production in the West, while buying most of the production from China or other countries, where zero emissions and the climate change agenda seems to have flown out of the window like colds and influenza. They have built an AI system, and a depopulation agenda, with that mind thought, could it destroy civilizations? Who is holding the wealth of each and every country? Great post Jon, the economy of the West is being systemically destroyed, by greed and power to enslave.
I write books out of a deep passion and to help inform. I put out my own money. I would like a return on my investment and even make a living from it. Because I have not made money yet, I have to keep my day job for now. Basic economics as you say.
There is also the argument that archiving and file-sharing makes information available to people who can NOT and NEVER would be able to afford it. So someone destitute in a 3rd-world country should try to save up $100 USD to buy some farming guides from 1st-world US or Euro writers, even though it could change the direction of the poor farmers' property, family, village, etc? That would NEVER happen. Whereas, if the info is available on file-sharing sites like 'Anna's Archives', 'OceanOfPDF', etc... then they can get it too. Them being dirt-poor after centuries of political corruption, enslavement, economic extortion, pillaging of resources, etc. doesn't mean that the Market 'should' require they pay the same as a part of the world that makes 10 or 100x the income levels.
These are not easy answers. It's like asking "Which way should we try to address this gangrene foot?" when the REAL problem is that the whole body should never have gotten to the point of being in such bad shape that gangrene even occurred. But here it is, already with gangrene. And here we are, already with a fucked up world.
So yeah, at this point, for the sake of the greater good of the world, a lot of things actually 'should' be free, bootlegged, distributed, etc... IF we want to see actual paradigm changes to relieve suffering in millions, or even billions now and in the future.
Anyone that benefits and can prospers can always come back and donate/repay when they have a real means later. And anyone else with the means now can do so too, if they have an appreciation for the bigger picture.
Otherwise, if you think markets 'should' NOT be regulated at ALL... then you accept the fact and reality of pirating, copying, and everything with that too. Can't have it just one way.
Conversely, there is the argument that music (radio, internet, etc) should be free as a "business card" or "flyer" of sorts, so the bands can go on tour and perform live then (work). And offer on sites like Bandcamp AFTER I get to listen to it to see if it's even WORTH buying.
Similarly, writing should be free, as a "business card" or "flyer" of sorts, so the writer can go on interview tours, etc. Because many of them have ghost writers, or even AI writing now.
So everyone and anyone can set up sites to donate to for compensation for their contributions to the world. If people like what one does, then they can go donate. Hell, I offered my favorite DJ cash money after his concert because I already had all his albums from the internet and came out to see him too (he declined)
Anyone can make and sell crap. "Should" only get compensated for actual quality. Voluntary pay is the best way to ensure that.
HOWEVER, the REAL problem is that people don't comprehend what REAL VALUE actually means.
Humans are TERRIBLE at assigning value (relative and absolute). So people end up NEVER getting compensated for excellent work by ungrateful freeloaders.
Writing is labor and deserving of compensation… Good writing is rare and nearly priceless! Keep up the great work Jon !
Hey- Somebody's gata make the time & effort to explain and ridicule This Bullshit Matrix, and get paid for it.
TU JR $$$*
Jon the way I see it is that ideas are free. They float around in the ether and are there to be caught and used like fish in the ocean. So far the governments haven’t learned how to control the harvest so they try to control the sharing. I gladly pay the stipend for your sharing. You have an interesting viewpoint that I often find myself at and that is comforting. On another note, the whole earth catalog jolted me into the past and I wanted to recommend “alcohol can be a gas” also I wanted to share a quote from a friend of mine “discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought”
Shitty ideas may be free, and are worth even less.
Good ideas are not.
GREAT ideas require quite a bit of effort.
And your metaphor doesn't fly, on a number of levels:
To catch fish in any kind of volume, you need a boat, fuel, nets, bait, staff.
These things are far from free.
You don’t sound like a fisherman or a man of much experience
Well Mr. Jon,
I don't care for freebies, but I like bargains. I really have worked hard for
my $$. Paid off college loans, paid off houses and bought another with cash.
I loathe debt far more than I need things. I can get a pair of jeans for <$10.00
at a thrift store so why get designer jeans at 10 x the price? People are ego driven
and like to display their wealth to show up others, create a certain envy. Living
standards paid for by cc ongoing? Really bad economics, that. .Gov paying the
way for immigrants crossing the border is an horrific policy. .Gov facilitating deadly
drugs flooding the country is an evil policy. Mandating flu drugs that injure and kill
people is equally rotten. .Gov may be rotten itself.
Last, good writing is a gift, and reading it can heal the soul sometimes. Compensate the
great and even okay writers so one can learn and enjoy those pleasures.
When Big Gubment Cheez "thrives on The Credit & Debt Sink Hole"- they simply print more fake money.
When Big Gubment Cheez prints more fake money, everything costs more and they print more fake money.
When Big Gubment Cheez gives away so much fake money, everything costs more, and they just print more fake money.
* 7th grade Common Sense 50 years ago.
(*They won't tell you THAT)
Welcome to The Sink Hole.
I have a day job. I make over $500 a day with OT and per diem. Before I get my weekly pay, a full day's worth of work is not included in it.
Somebody understands economics better than myself.
I thought that was called stealing! Lol.
You can say Criminal,
and still, ......nobody cares.
Amen Brother. I make my living playing the piano. I can't count the times some ignorant twit invited me to play for their party and offered me drinks and barbecue. I use to decline the offer's by being polite. No thanks, I don't drink and I eat at home. My fee is $$$. Well, they balked at actually paying me. Now I'm more to the point-go fuck yourself. Jon is absolutly correct about the fundamental nature of economics. I have something to sell you want to buy. We come to an agreement on the price. The trade is beneficial to both parties. That is the root, the fundamental definition of Capitalism. Forget Marx's definition or Adam Smith or David Riccardo or Keynes or any other academic who baffles one with bullshit. It is stunningly simple-a voluntary trade between two or more people period.
There is one more thing-one should be happy to pay another for their work. Happy. It should make you feel good to compensate your fellow man for their labor. If it doesn't-then you're an evil prick.
"A guy makes a table. He sells it to another guy who wants it. That’s economics. Everything else is bullshit." LOL. Love it! What a profound and accurate definition of economics! Those 4 sentences would be the opening volley of my post-graduate thesis in economics. All the lefty professors would get hernias reading it. You're hilarious, Jon. More please.
An idea that I have about humanity's practices of trade, economy, and money is that as humanity matures further, spiritually and in our attitudes of brotherhood/family, the time will come when trade and money in all of its expressions will be recognized as impractical, inappropriate and a waste of time and effort (keeping track of who has how much money). This will be like a flower blooming in its own time. Forcing it will be destructive and unnatural. But allowing human nature to take its course, life will be more beautiful and delightful.
Economics is an invented scheme of number manipulation. Or that of trying to make sense of a money backed economy. Not even the "experts" understand the BS they present to the dumbed down public. It is mostly guessing, as is most of life. The only "economics" you need to pay any attention to are your own. Your method of income, saving, investing, spending and consuming. You have no control over anyone else's economics. And it's just numbers...simple adding and subtracting mostly. It is very easy for the government to lie about all of it. So they do.
Free stuff…the biggest boondoggle and marketing ploy ever invented. How’s that for a free good idea? Never mind factoring in the costs to sustain the minds who make the idea conscious and believable. The gullible want to believe there really is free stuff…
Volunteerism. At the Olympics, sporting events, etc. That’s giving away your labor for free, in the guise of sacrificing your time for the ‘greater good.’
In the meantime, the sponsors get free marketing and free labor.
Oh, and fund raising for a cause.
I use to do all of that but stepped back and took a look under the hood.
The reason I trashed my t-Shirts with any form of logos or advertising, whether vacation spots, ego products or “special events” (the victimization industry) is when I realized they were billboards and I was the idiot holding them up.
Thank you.
Does the problem lies within the public sector economy, if it's not balanced, does not serve a purpose in most sectors, who are working for the WEFEUWHO where the economy is not balanced, can they sell off the lands of the country, increase salaries at a whim, provided the person is willing to follow the orders placed in front of them, whether those actions are within the rules and regulations of their profession or laws of the country , it seems some have no value for the Fundamental Freedoms and Constitutional Rights of the people. Thou shalt not steal springs to mind, have they computerized most data, some of which does not belong to them, stopped production in the West, while buying most of the production from China or other countries, where zero emissions and the climate change agenda seems to have flown out of the window like colds and influenza. They have built an AI system, and a depopulation agenda, with that mind thought, could it destroy civilizations? Who is holding the wealth of each and every country? Great post Jon, the economy of the West is being systemically destroyed, by greed and power to enslave.
I write books out of a deep passion and to help inform. I put out my own money. I would like a return on my investment and even make a living from it. Because I have not made money yet, I have to keep my day job for now. Basic economics as you say.
There is also the argument that archiving and file-sharing makes information available to people who can NOT and NEVER would be able to afford it. So someone destitute in a 3rd-world country should try to save up $100 USD to buy some farming guides from 1st-world US or Euro writers, even though it could change the direction of the poor farmers' property, family, village, etc? That would NEVER happen. Whereas, if the info is available on file-sharing sites like 'Anna's Archives', 'OceanOfPDF', etc... then they can get it too. Them being dirt-poor after centuries of political corruption, enslavement, economic extortion, pillaging of resources, etc. doesn't mean that the Market 'should' require they pay the same as a part of the world that makes 10 or 100x the income levels.
These are not easy answers. It's like asking "Which way should we try to address this gangrene foot?" when the REAL problem is that the whole body should never have gotten to the point of being in such bad shape that gangrene even occurred. But here it is, already with gangrene. And here we are, already with a fucked up world.
So yeah, at this point, for the sake of the greater good of the world, a lot of things actually 'should' be free, bootlegged, distributed, etc... IF we want to see actual paradigm changes to relieve suffering in millions, or even billions now and in the future.
Anyone that benefits and can prospers can always come back and donate/repay when they have a real means later. And anyone else with the means now can do so too, if they have an appreciation for the bigger picture.
Otherwise, if you think markets 'should' NOT be regulated at ALL... then you accept the fact and reality of pirating, copying, and everything with that too. Can't have it just one way.
I hear your argument Jon.
Conversely, there is the argument that music (radio, internet, etc) should be free as a "business card" or "flyer" of sorts, so the bands can go on tour and perform live then (work). And offer on sites like Bandcamp AFTER I get to listen to it to see if it's even WORTH buying.
Similarly, writing should be free, as a "business card" or "flyer" of sorts, so the writer can go on interview tours, etc. Because many of them have ghost writers, or even AI writing now.
So everyone and anyone can set up sites to donate to for compensation for their contributions to the world. If people like what one does, then they can go donate. Hell, I offered my favorite DJ cash money after his concert because I already had all his albums from the internet and came out to see him too (he declined)
Anyone can make and sell crap. "Should" only get compensated for actual quality. Voluntary pay is the best way to ensure that.
HOWEVER, the REAL problem is that people don't comprehend what REAL VALUE actually means.
Humans are TERRIBLE at assigning value (relative and absolute). So people end up NEVER getting compensated for excellent work by ungrateful freeloaders.
I still have my “Whole Earth Catalog”…