@georgeob1,
Hi George,
Quote:While it may not be easily visible to you I can attest to very specific regulations that inhibit economic investment and risk taking: the connection between cause and effect is very visible if you know what to look for: not hypothetical at all. Don't make the solipsistic assumption that things you are unable to discern don't exist.
Sorry, but it's not at all solipsistic to require evidence before ascribing belief. I've not claimed that they DON'T exist, merely that I believe the effects of them are overblown by those who constantly push the pro-business line. I don't go to gamblers to ask if the gambling laws constraining their activity are a smart thing, why would I rely upon Rentiers and avowed Corporatists to tell me whether or not regulations up them are a good thing?
Quote: There is a reason our economic growth has slowed down and it is directly influencing the growing economic divide that gets so much notoriety today.
Oh, I agree. I simply disagree that it's the reasons you are describing here.
Quote:As long as there is an economic surplus we have the luxury of maintaining a clean environment, and, relative to the rest of the world we have done very well in that area. However, without the economic growth required to pay for it, that will soon disappear. While you may be willing to put environmental issues first, many others won't if things get tough, and change will occur, even if you don't agree.
If we cannot maintain a stable environmental situation, both in our country and on the planet as a whole, there is
no point to economic growth. We would be busy partying and slapping ourselves on the back while the house is burning down. What more, while we've seen that while the last 50 years of economic growth have indeed improved the daily lives of all citizens, the VAST majority of that growth has flowed to the wealthy. However, the environmental damages caused by our quest for growth are far more socialized and primarily born by the poor. This is why regulations exist in the first place and why they are a good thing. I'm not personally betting on any major lessening of environmental regulations in my lifetime - and I daresay you aren't, either.
You won't find any argument with me re: ethanol mandates. Pure political graft to farmers, mostly in the midwest and mostly in very Republican and Conservative states. While I do believe that environmentalists initially pushed for ethanol blends as a preventative, as you say, that's been shown to be false and this cause has been all but abandoned by the environmentalist movement, who have moved on to better solutions (which are rapidly evolving). I believe you're blaming the wrong people here - the Farm lobby has more to do with ethanol subsidies at this point than anyone else, by a mile.
Our world and economy are a balance of conflicting forces and desires and regulations exist to enforce that balance. American businesses and corporations have proven - proven - over the years that without regulations, they will happily **** up the enviornment, the lives of citizens, and the economy, all in the search of short-term profits. I mean, happily. The examples of them doing so are literally endless, as you know. Given the fact that over the last 50 years - truly an eyeblink, not even that, in the life of humanity - corporate and business profits, job growth and technological progress are through the ******* roof, I cannot agree that these regulations are having a meaningful long-term impact on our growth as a nation or a species. The idea that we shouldn't see a 'slowdown' of GDP or job growth for any reason without trying to immediately attack that reason is fallacious, as it ignores the cyclical nature of our system and observable reality.
Cycloptichorn
