Quote from: Hunterbunter on September 19, 2012, 10:08:19 AM

Quote from: myrkul on September 19, 2012, 08:06:50 AM

The farmer typically doesn't give a shit who eats his food. All he cares about is that someone buys it. Thus, he seeks the money for the food, and uses that money to buy services and (here's my next point) other consumer goods. Food is not the only consumer good out there, it's just one of the few that everyone needs. He's also not the only farmer, nor does he supply the only type of food.

But let's assume that there is one farmer supplying all the food to everybody. He has enough food for all 100 million people. The people all have enough money to buy the food. They do. Now he has a great deal of money, but, say, only enough food to feed himself. What now? Well, now, he takes that money and buys a TV, a new couch, some booze (likely made from his grain), some fertilizer, new farm equipment, watches movies, gets a blowjob, etc, until he's out of money. By that time, the crops are in, and he has food again, and no money. The people have eaten all their food, and by virtue of providing services and other consumer goods to the farmer (and each other), the people have money. The cycle starts again.

Yes, in the first paragraph you're describing how things currently are, not where they are heading. I'm talking about the assumption you display in the second paragraph that companies are allowed to grow (as they naturally will) to own as much as possible, such that they control the entire food supply of a nation. These companies do not necessarily have to be public companies. So one arable land owner produces the food for 100 million people, and all of it's vested shareholders spend every penny they make as much as possible, and only 50 million people are found to be useful to them.

You're missing the point. I've bolded the parts of my previous statement that might help you get it. A food seller cares about selling his food. The shareholders in a food selling company only care about getting profit from the company. This means that all the company cares about is selling as much of its food as possible, for the best price possible.

The shareholders, employees, farmers, etc. of the food company only find useful 50 million people. So what? Those 50 million people will find the other 50 million people useful in some manner. Money circulates, it does not make one transfer and then stop. Everybody needs something, and the 50 million people can't get the necessary services and products from the food company, it's too busy providing food. Even doctors go to other doctors when they're sick. Wink