Romney vs. Obama - 2012 Presidential Debates - Let's score it!

[Gandalf]

Next up the debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan.
Topic: Foreign and domestic policy
Air Time: 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time - October 11th.
Location: Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.
Moderator: Martha Raddatz (ABC News Chief Foreign Correspondent)

I hope Ryan tears this liberal dip-shit Biden a new asshole next thursday.

2012 Presidential Debate Schedule � 2012 Election Central

Cheers

The gloves will be off in this one. The vice prez contenders don't have tobe presidential. When Ryan starts lying about stuff I'm guessing Biden will call him on it.

It would seem both candidates were bullshitting a little bit.

FactCheck.org : Dubious Denver Debate Declarations

My personal favorite was that free markets can't exist w/o regulations.

I would just change the word 'exist' to 'function effectively'. No, problems with that then. Look at the financial system it is a clear example of an environment where constant deregulation led to catastrophe. Not that Obama did much about it. The prick!

[VictorCharlie]

We don't have a free market therefore the statement is patently false.

[Gandalf]

We don't have a free market therefore the statement is patently false.

No country has truly free markets, or at least they certainly shouldn't aspire to have them. Free market is just a term in economics books and one that doesn't really have any meaning if you are going to apply it to the real world. A true free market is an appalling concept and is good for only an elite few. Regulation is an important function.

Obama was kind of right really, all he is saying is that markets need regulation. That isn't controversial.

[VictorCharlie]

Well there is a typical statist opinion and Obama didn't say it, Romney did. Free market is a very real term and something we should all aspire too b/c your economic freedom is paramount to your overall freedom. The truth is the systems you prescribe too are much more inclined to crony capitalism than anything else.

[Gandalf]

Well there is a typical statist opinion and Obama didn't say it, Romney did. Free market is a very real term and something we should all aspire too b/c your economic freedom is paramount to your overall freedom. The truth is the systems you prescribe too are much more inclined to crony capitalism than anything else.

If there is complete economic freedom then markets can be manipulated, for instance as commodities markets are being manipulated now. How is that freedom for people who are having to put food on their table? You need regulation to protect consumers. Look at how utilities in the UK have risen in cost since they were privatised? There simply isn't enough regulation on those industries. Nobody is made free by having to spend more money on necessities. Another instance is here in Korea where more and more Koreans are only being employed on temporary contracts. A better and more protective system that sides with workers rather than abusive employers would be better.

Crony capitalism occurs because there is not enough regulation. Corporations become free to abuse labour markets and in the bigger picture industries and markets are simply not regulated enough.

[VictorCharlie]

Again you are not talking about free markets but privately owned business with different levels of government leverage applied. It is the absurdity of centrally planned economics that allows for this to happen. When government picks the economic winners and losers your precious common man will always be the loser.

[Gandalf]

Again you are not talking about free markets but privately owned business with different levels of government leverage applied. It is the absurdity of centrally planned economics that allows for this to happen. When government picks the economic winners and losers your precious common man will always be the loser.

All economies do this though. Centralised planning is a key component of any successful economy. Free markets are the realm of nutters like Friedman who was an advocate of such things and every experiment with such things was a failure.

Look at the growth of Korea, there was massive government involvement and it worked. Everybody benefited. Electronics, cars and steel and everybody wins.