XPost: alt.society.labor-unions, alt.politics.economics, misc.consumers   
   XPost: soc.retirement   
   From: me@privacy.net   
      
    wrote in message news:bn303099uno2dcp114   
   g9o6i45r5kab39v@4ax.com...   
   > On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 20:22:26 GMT, "Michael Legel"    
   > >Omigosh ... you really do think that supply and demand works like gravity?   
   > >This fairy tale world of thought goes far to explain the world we live in.   
   > >Obviously there is a rudimentary and basic relationship between levels of   
   > >supply and demand.  But these are so basic and easily manipulated as to have   
   > >no useful bearing in modern economics.  Mega-corporations simultaneously   
   > >control the supply and demand of multiple commodities simply by flooding or   
   > >squelching markets.  Since business now effectively controls the government,   
   > >they control the flow of commerce across borders.  A good example would be   
   > >to plant yourself in the middle of Disneyland and go looking for a Pepsi.   
   > >In that microworld a Pepsi, if it could be found, might have some precious   
   > >value ... but in reality that doesn't happen because the alternatives abound   
   > >cheap and plentiful.  You buy Coke because it is readily available and   
   > >affordable.  There are no people fighting in the streets over black market   
   > >Pepsi.  We live in a modern world of huge diversity that makes the law of   
   > >supply and demand so general as to be nearly non-existent.  Even once rare   
   > >items like gold and diamonds have markets so controlled and modulated by   
   > >monopolies to control the price, thus controlling both supply and demand.   
   > >People and their actions control these variables.   
   >   
   > So, what you are describing is a country (USA) where plenty   
   > abounds...and there are multiple choices for products of a highly   
   > similar nature. However, if one really...really...needs that Pepsi,   
   > but can only find Coke, then their demands aren't met, and they will   
   > continue searching for a supply of Cole.   
      
   You might want to put that bong down for a few weeks,   
   Sparky.   
      
   > You may obfuscate all you want with mercantilist conspiracies and   
   > using trivial examples for your illustration, but the law of supply   
   > and demand remains extant. You have not repealed it with your facile   
   > argument using gold and precious gems as your commodities of   
   > necessity.   
      
   Michael is correct.  The "law" of supply and demand exists   
   only as a concept inside people's brains, and is used by the   
   haves as a lame excuse every time they wish to justify stealing   
   yet again from the have nots.   
      
   Where was the "law" of supply and demand when our   
   government bailed out the savings and loan industry?  Or   
   Chrysler?  Seems this immutable "law" applies to some of us   
   but not others.   
      
   Rick   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)