When you read Nancy Turner’s viewpoint, you would think the name of Adam Smith’s book was, “The Wealth of the Wealthy.” Though Smith makes many points, the point of competition isn’t so that the rich can get richer but so the common consumer can have the best price via market competition. Does anyone think that’s what health insurers provide? Insurers don’t compete for your dollars; what little competition exists is to see who can provide employers with the cheapest cost by redirecting costs back to the employees through higher premiums and higher deductibles.
Additionally, the idea that “if only government would leave businesses alone competition would generate the best price” is laughable. Businesses don’t compete because they want to but because they have to. Corporations do everything in their power not to compete, including spending millions lobbying Congress to get the best deals possible. And as for government interference, the modern corporation, particularly with its limited liability, couldn’t exist without the government.
Then there’s the red herring about discouraging risk-taking as if large corporations were entrepreneurs. Large corporations are run by people who use other people’s money, labor and creativity to line their pockets with little to no risk to themselves. Do you really think we would have had the recent financial fiasco if the investment banks were still partnerships and their own money was at risk?
Our dilemma isn’t between government and big business but how to extricate ourselves from this current Frankensteinian amalgam of both.
Andy Absher
Anderson
Letters
Letter: Businesses compete because they must
Discouraging risk-taking is a red herring
- Letters
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Letter: Bill of Rights being nullified by new law
President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act on New Year’s Eve. I doubt many Americans noticed its implications because they do not yet comprehend the big picture. This law, coupled with the Patriot Act, is paving the way for America’s direction toward tyranny.
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Letter: $14 trillion debt started by previous president
I’m a proud atheist who’s lucky enough to know the difference between fact and fantasy.
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Letter: Economy putting people in the gutters
We are now getting the results of putting people in the gutters. We need to take a second look at our government and its policies. It’s not working.
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Viewpoint: Look at Creation Museum from an educational, scientific perspective
I encourage any and all who have interest in this vitally important topic to “go to the source,” to invest the time and energy into exploring The Creation Museum for themselves.
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Letter: Blame the voters for our Congress
Why is insider trading legal for Congress and illegal for the rest of us? They make and enact laws for all of us, but then exempt members of Congress. Somehow this doesn’t seem to pass the smell test.
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Letter: Smith’s firings appear vindictive
Anderson is a city of negative publicity and actions. Why else is Sears leaving? Can we stand four years of vindictive actions and negative reporting?
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Letter: Planned devaluation of dollar is coming
I’ve submitted letters regarding the existence of a global elite for years now. I’m now submitting another one in which I hope readers will take note of.
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Viewpoint: Myra Kraft inspiration for Patriots
If there was one good reason for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl, it would be because of what I had read.
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Viewpoint: Anderson a microcosm of America
Wherever I have found comments that I felt were outside the values I believe in or were plain misinformation I have spoken out. At times that has been done with a lack of eloquence.
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Viewpoint: Problems in Anderson go back to President Carter
On Jan. 21, Frank Couch of Anderson stated that political conservatives “just don’t get it.” He sort of indicates Sears’ closing in Anderson is due to the new mayor being Republican.
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Letter: Bill of Rights being nullified by new law
