Quote from: giantdragon on July 09, 2014, 07:13:24 PM

Quote from: dennydotco on July 09, 2014, 05:56:56 AM

Some of my best friends still hunt and farm for their meat and eggs, and grow vegetable gardens for their vegetables. They'll spend some mornings on their boats fishing... while taking calls and photos on their iPhone.
Technological efficiency in free market capitalism will make many of our current jobs obsolete, but people will keep finding ways to survive, create, and enjoy their life.

There is simply not enough land on the Earth to feed 7 billion people without modern technologies. So only a minority of people can downshift and live simpler life, but not >90% of "useless" population.

Quote from: Nicolas Dorier on July 09, 2014, 06:58:57 PM

As the concentration of power in the hand of few is not proved in a free market (quote me one company that ever got enough capital for mass scale coercion), it has been already been proved in democratic (and non democratic) government.

Large U.S. oil companies have significant influence on the government and many wars were ignited by them in last 20 years.

Large U.S. oils companies never used coercion against me, and does not ask me to work for them if I don't want to.

But still, if you refer to the energy crisis, I'll quote Milton Friedman

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The present oil crisis has not been produced by the oil companies. It is a result of government mismanagement exacerbated by the Mideast war.

You can go into Friedman arguments he always go deep inside the problem. (Not saying he is right or wrong, but that would be a base for discussion)

Government can provoke shortage or surplus by fixing minimum or maximum price of goods.
In a free market without government intervention such forced consequence is impossible.

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Do you want a surplus? Have the government legislate a minimum price that is above the price that would otherwise prevail. Do you want a shortage? Have the government legislate a maximum price that is below the price that would otherwise prevail.

Milton Friedman - Energy Policy : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj1974Ek4nw