Comments on: My UFO faith explained. https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:51:21 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46910 BuckGalaxy Mon, 31 May 2021 05:12:10 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46910 I will try to explain better next time since you are so easily triggered, my friend :-) I will try to explain better next time since you are so easily triggered, my friend :-)

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46906 podrock Sat, 29 May 2021 02:16:38 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46906 I agree with every word I agree with every word

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46904 ER Sat, 29 May 2021 01:49:16 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46904 Well said! Well said!

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46903 BuckGalaxy Fri, 28 May 2021 23:12:15 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46903 Even those guys agree that infrastructure requires tax and spend. That fraud needs to be regulated. That monopolies skew the market toward inefficiencies. And that negative externalities, (e.g., pollution) need to be regulated. I'm way beyond that line of thinking. The way I see it, "inefficiencies" created by things like labor laws, safety regulations, and general social spending are a small price to pay for a society that meets human needs. And in fact many of these things actually strengthen the economy. Efficiency that creates unnecessary human suffering is socially destabilizing. A free market that causes Climate change but left to its own devices cannot solve it needs regulation. Even those guys agree that infrastructure requires tax and spend. That fraud needs to be regulated. That monopolies skew the market toward inefficiencies. And that negative externalities, (e.g., pollution) need to be regulated.

I’m way beyond that line of thinking. The way I see it, “inefficiencies” created by things like labor laws, safety regulations, and general social spending are a small price to pay for a society that meets human needs. And in fact many of these things actually strengthen the economy. Efficiency that creates unnecessary human suffering is socially destabilizing. A free market that causes Climate change but left to its own devices cannot solve it needs regulation.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46902 ER Fri, 28 May 2021 21:08:18 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46902 And I apologize if I was putting words in your mouth. It just those "free market fundamentalists" pressing my buttons. <em> "The word 'free' is in 'free market', so that means us capitalists are entitled to do any goddamned thing we want."</em> Its that kind of aristocratic thinking and entrepreneurial arrogance that has led us to Ayn Rand, Donald Trump and beyond. And I apologize if I was putting words in your mouth.

It just those “free market fundamentalists” pressing my buttons. “The word ‘free’ is in ‘free market’, so that means us capitalists are entitled to do any goddamned thing we want.”

Its that kind of aristocratic thinking and entrepreneurial arrogance that has led us to Ayn Rand, Donald Trump and beyond.

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46901 BuckGalaxy Fri, 28 May 2021 20:42:57 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46901 "...a mechanism or law or principle that ties prices to scarcity. In that sense, there IS a Law of Supply and Demand. " You have finally acknowledged what I have been trying to say all along. Thank you. I have NEVER said that the S&D equilibrium point is some perfect point determined by god, like many free market fundamentalists do. It is the most efficient point economically, but it fails to meet the needs for human social justice. That's where regulations are absolutely necessary. “…a mechanism or law or principle that ties prices to scarcity. In that sense, there IS a Law of Supply and Demand. ”

You have finally acknowledged what I have been trying to say all along. Thank you.

I have NEVER said that the S&D equilibrium point is some perfect point determined by god, like many free market fundamentalists do. It is the most efficient point economically, but it fails to meet the needs for human social justice. That’s where regulations are absolutely necessary.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46899 ER Fri, 28 May 2021 13:37:34 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46899 The point isn't whether or not there is a mechanism or law or principle that ties prices to scarcity. In that sense, there IS a Law of Supply and Demand. That is not what I'm getting at. The point is that the perception of scarcity can be manipulated in order to delude the customer and get him to pay more for the commodity than its worth. What you are REALLY saying (although I'd bet you don't really realize it) is that there are magical economical laws that guarantee that capitalistic economies will always be fair and honest and therefore we should do nothing to regulate or even inconvenience businessmen. That is exactly what they want you to believe, and you've fallen for it. The truth is that Capital will always exploit labor, and it will always cheat the customer, unless regulated by a democratic system. That's what Karl Marx said. And if you read him carefully, its what Adam Smith said, too. The point isn’t whether or not there is a mechanism or law or principle that ties prices to scarcity. In that sense, there IS a Law of Supply and Demand. That is not what I’m getting at. The point is that the perception of scarcity can be manipulated in order to delude the customer and get him to pay more for the commodity than its worth.

What you are REALLY saying (although I’d bet you don’t really realize it) is that there are magical economical laws that guarantee that capitalistic economies will always be fair and honest and therefore we should do nothing to regulate or even inconvenience businessmen. That is exactly what they want you to believe, and you’ve fallen for it.

The truth is that Capital will always exploit labor, and it will always cheat the customer, unless regulated by a democratic system. That’s what Karl Marx said. And if you read him carefully, its what Adam Smith said, too.

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46898 BuckGalaxy Fri, 28 May 2021 07:34:26 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46898 Here's an analogy: 5 X 5 = 25 Every single thing you have mentioned in all of your posts on this thread are the same thing as changing the numbers in that equation. 15 x 100 = 1500. Whatever. What I am talking about is the principle of multiplication itself, regardless of the numbers. Supply and Demand is akin to multiplication. Changing the numbers in a multiplication problem doesn't alter the way multiplication works. Changing the supply level or demand level of any resource doesn't change how supply and demand works. Here’s an analogy:

5 X 5 = 25

Every single thing you have mentioned in all of your posts on this thread are the same thing as changing the numbers in that equation. 15 x 100 = 1500. Whatever.

What I am talking about is the principle of multiplication itself, regardless of the numbers. Supply and Demand is akin to multiplication.

Changing the numbers in a multiplication problem doesn’t alter the way multiplication works. Changing the supply level or demand level of any resource doesn’t change how supply and demand works.

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46897 BuckGalaxy Fri, 28 May 2021 05:40:05 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46897 So what that person did affected the SUPPLY side of the equation. So what that person did affected the SUPPLY side of the equation.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2021/05/25/my-ufo-faith-explained/#comment-46895 ER Fri, 28 May 2021 00:41:40 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88225#comment-46895 I read a story once about how a scientist perfected a process for making large, gem-quality synthetic rubies, indistinguishable from natural ones, for just a few dollars a carat. Supposedly, she deliberately injected a small amount of an easily-detectable impurity into her artificial stones so that they could be identified and the value of the natural stones would not be affected. I read a story once about how a scientist perfected a process for making large, gem-quality synthetic rubies, indistinguishable from natural ones, for just a few dollars a carat. Supposedly, she deliberately injected a small amount of an easily-detectable impurity into her artificial stones so that they could be identified and the value of the natural stones would not be affected.

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