Capitalism Rules

*Really? It'd be a good thing vis-a-vis food for the Nigerians now.*

No, it wouldn't. In fact, one could argue that Niger is already close to being "self sufficient". Niger has uranium exports, but much of Niger's economy is agriculture based, and its agricultural sector is subsistence farming for the most part, which is kind of the problem when drought and locusts hit.

Self-sufficiency (when it is imposed, especially) directs resources to less productive uses, lowering the wealth-creating potential of the people, as well as reducing or eliminating the ability to create marketable goods to trade with other nations. Such trade would be valuable in alleviating some of the suffering, as imports of food could make up for...

Well Cav....
I guess the 'Nigeria" in the header made me think she was blubbering about Nigeria.

"Being self-sufficient is no great thing."
Really? It'd be a good thing vis-a-vis food for the Nigerians now.

Smith did not conceive of marginalism, so some of his theory is bunk. Specifically, he tried hard to establish a labor theory of value, when value is actually subjective and ever-changing, and depends on the person assessing the value. There is some evidence that Smith's work on th3e labor theory of value was used by Karl Marx to develop the economics and historical interpretation of communism.

http://blog.mises.org/7085/adam-smith-and-karl-marxs-basic- and-monumental-in-consequences-error/

The article is about Niger, not Nigeria. Niger is just to the north of Nigeria.

http://www.vmapas.com/Africa/Africa_Political_Map.jpg/maps- en.html?map_viewMap=1

Being self-sufficient is no great thing. Much better to specialise and trade.

While "Western Business Advisors" may have promoted an "oil-based economy", one should have eventually seen the price of foodstuffs increase relative to the price gained by selling oil, thus drawing people back into agriculture. If that hasn't happened, it's a pretty good bet that government mandates or subsidies are involved.

Before the discovery of oil, Nigerians were completely food self-sufficient and engaged in a healthy export of a cornicopia of commodities.

Western business "advisors" promoted the "industrial take off," leaving agriculture all but abandoned.
The big international oil companies, BP, Shell, Exxon-Mobil, Chevron, Agip, and Texaco, have operated in partnership with the government.

Despite the fact that billions of dollars in the form of Nigerian 'black gold' is, and has been delivered into global markets...profiting big oil businesses and corrupt local businessmen and politicians, the vast majority of Nigerians live in deploreable squalor and poverty..

The substantial inequality in distribution of wealth has been...

wasn't sufficiently pure enough. He still believed that some regulation was needed. We of the Church of the Rand know better now. The Invisible Hand will protect us.

Thus Smith lives in eternal torment in the lowest level of hell reserved for socialists: Sweden.

"Or go gambling like they do in California with their handy ATM cards the govt hands out."

Please provide some documentation of people gambling with government ATM cards.

I can't be a "socialist blasphemer" when I'm quoting Adam Smith.

*If you are poor or starving, there must be sin in your life, be it being lazy or just being a Democrat.*

I'd say rather that your government is stealing the bread from your mouth to feed its army of bureaucrats who are busily working on the project called "Undermining Your Liberty". It is not in the interest of market suppliers to see its customers starve to death. The government, however, finds utility in a certain amount of its citizens dying, for propaganda purposes if nothing else.

[Or go gambling like they do in California with their handy ATM cards the govt hands out. The Left encourages the free money so much they advertise it on radio. (see spread the wealth comments from Hillary).]

Agreed.

These people and their kids didn't need a hand out. They had options.

I hear rebel gangs have a strong demand for child soldiers, I'm sure they'd pay well. They might even be able to talk them up to a goat.

[The "invisible hand" is the mechanism by which people discover that to attain their own interests, they must first look to the interests of others.]

Socialist blasphemer. The Invisible Hand guides and protects all.

If you are poor or starving, there must be sin in your life,...

(or is it sardonicism?)

The "invisible hand" is the mechanism by which people discover that to attain their own interests, they must first look to the interests of others.

"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own neccessities but of their advantages." --Adam Smith

http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/2291

"Besides, they'll probably just use it to buy cell phones and sneakers and iPods."


Or go gambling like they do in California with their handy ATM cards the govt hands out. The Left encourages the free money so much they advertise it on radio. (see spread the wealth comments from Hillary).

Handing out free money to starving people will only encourage them to keep themselves and their kids on the brink of starvation.

Besides, they'll probably just use it to buy cell phones and sneakers and iPods.

They should have just told them to pray to the Invisible Market Hand gods and The Holy Mother Ayn for a Nike factory, Tech Support call center, Oil field, house of ill repute, or perhaps a diamond mine to open nearby and then it's jobs for everyone.

it's Niger, not Nigeria. And this does not demonstrate the triumph of capitalism, although it does demonstrate some market principles.

"Handing out cash rather than food means the aid is tailored to each person's needs, takes away the costs of delivering food and allows beneficiaries to choose what food to buy."

This is not a case study in production; it is an article on the distribution of charitable gifts in the form of food to those in need. The aid workers can't know for sure what each family truly demands, but the families themselves know, and spending cash is an efficient way for families to bid for the available food. Notice the alarm the article's author has of suppliers bidding up the price of food. This is a...

So then you and Jillian must agree with Nancy Pelosi that unemployment benefits create jobs.

so how am I clueless again? since you just agreed with vlad who just agreed with me....are you off your medication again?

clearly another conservative needs to talk sone sense into you.

the difference is simple
(but in general you have a point)

money requires the person to make a choice, to get off their butts

but, yes. it would have been better to follow JFK's / Peace Corps rule of "Give a man a fish, you feed him for one day, Teach a man to fish you feed him for life". some level of work for the money would have been a bette example.

"handing out money solves this problem."

The things you learn on the internet! The government hands out money to poor people and American conservatives applaud it as "capitalism."

oh clueless one...

Conservatism :: one person does not have the right to the fruits of another person's work. that is called salvery.

doesn't matter how many people agree to the taking, it is still salvery.

so, to answer your point. you do not have the right to the food i produce. you do have the right to go produce some on your own.

and i have the right to share with you or anyone else i care to.

they're giving poor people money to BUY food not giving Farmers money to grow it.

They said because it gives the poor person "dignity" instead of an outright handout.
they get a hand out to buy the food they will have high self esteem. Did you even read the article you linked to?

So is it still capitalism when you give people fee money to buy food that somebody else must PAY to produce????

aren't you the smarty pants who claimed that food was not a right?