I noticed the other day that there is a "Communist Party of Equestria" on Fimfiction, but no Free Market/Laissez Faire version. So here it is folks, your Free Market Party of Equestria.
It's a group of bronies who understand the importance of healthy competition, and know that it motivates people to do better than they would have without competition.
Applejack displayed this importance flawlessly in the "Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000" episode. Without competition, the Apple family was only making enough cider for about half the town. When the Flim Flam Bro's came into town and competed with the Apple Family, it motivated the Apples to make more cider at a faster pace. This resulted in quality apple cider being available to the entire town.
A popular argument among critics of free market capitalism is that it favors the rich and forgets the poor. That statement is just simply not true. When businesses compete, it gives consumers an abundance of choices on what products to buy. When businesses compete, it forces them to produce what the majority of the public wants them to produce. Basically, the company that makes good quality products will succeed over the company that makes lesser-quality products. In this way, the middle class and poor, (being the majority of society), have the power over what businesses produce. Thus, free market capitalism, overrall, brings freedom to its citizens.
Long live freedom and the invisible hand. (Google it.)
~The Moderators
Feel free to post any kinds of stories on this group. Any stories you feel relates to free market capitalism that you want to put on this group, there's a folder for that. A story that isn't related to free market capitalism? There's a folder for that. Just don't post any socialist fics.
339102 I know you said this a while ago, but I'm gonna throw my two cents in.
1. While it's true that the workers aren't treated well at all, without such low wages and less being paid attention to them medical wise, it keeps the cost of everything down; so the computer you type on costs let's say $500.00 instead of $1,000.00. But, it also employs people who were before unemployed or may not have been able to even get a job due to a low amount of jobs.
2. Admittedly yes, quick decisions must be made, but they're not all that often; otherwise a company would be out of business and not have workers at all. Health care can only be provided to an extent, you can only give so much before making a profit no longer happens.
3. The reason free market is called "free market" is because it has no taxation placed by the government, there's nothing to pay for getting paid essentially, so the govt. is pretty much out of it. But then when it is pressured by the govt. it's usually an arm and a leg that they get charged! If you let the companies do as they please, they can hire more people, build a bigger industry/economy, and can pay people bigger salaries. That's capitalism and free trade. Things most people despise for some reason I still can't figure out.
This has lead me to believe that free market can be shitty in a few aspects, but I see the good outnumbered by the bad.
By they way, don't be a jerk and enter a group to post one thing then just leave. That's jacked up, dude.
I once thought like this.
Problem is, there are some things the free market just isn't good at.
1- It mercilessly treats living people as cogs in the profit-maximizing machine, to be worn out, broken & replaced, or just left out... whatever makes the machine run smoother.
2- It relies on freedom of choice and informed decisions... but some decisions have to be made too urgently, or lack any freedom of choice, or lack information for making informed choices... and no matter how hard you try, there will always be choices like that. (In healthcare, for example, which is why free-market approaches to healthcare suck so much)
3- It relies on firm, equally enforced rules. But when the very wealthy lean on the government to bend those rules, government caves in, letting them rig the system for their own interests.
Which has led me to believe that while the free market does have its place, it lacks the merit to serve as an overall guiding principle.
*joins group to post this*
*leaves group*
Oh hell yes, this a group for me.
Guten tag, Konichiwa, Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, dzień dobry, zdrastvujcie.
I just thought I would say hello after joining.
I, Sesquame, an uninterested third-party, hereby endorse Archaeology by CloppleJack as a high quality story and supportive of the ideals of Liberty and Voluntaryism.
thoughtsonliberty.com/files/2012/11/voluntary-society-300x300.jpeg
296578 Well, libertarianism+ponies=win, so it's certainly welcome here.
296576
Thanks for the info.
While it isn't directly advocating free market capitalism, there's a good amount of Libertarian influence in there. I'm working on a prequel as we speak.
I hope you enjoy it.
296575 Yeah, I'm not sure where the 'main' folder came from, but go ahead and put it in there. Also, thanks for sumbitting your story.
Should stories be added to 'Main' and the other appropriate folder?
I'm glad that I found this group. My first search was for 'Liberty', my second for 'Free', which brought this up.
295139 You're most certainly not out of line. Monopolies are definitely a problem. Companies that grow too big share the same fate as all empires in history that grew too big. However, they should be allowed to fail. Instead, they get huge bailouts using taxes and money loaned from the Federal Reserve. And I could go on for days about the Fed. Please don't get me started.
295128Yay! Btw if we may discuss such matters, how does everybody feel abouit monopolies. My thoughts are that they cannot sustain themselves for long and will fall apart. What kept the great monopolies alive in the early 20th century I believe were the massive tariffs on foreign goods. Foreign competitors couldn't compete, and the free market wasn't made free anymore. But still the progressives busted the trusts instead of lowering the tariffs.
Sorry if I'm out of line.
295126 I was thinking the same thing. And MeZimm already gave his say on the matter. It's decided! We are now "Free Market Party of Equestria". *Pops champagne*
295124 That carries a much less negative connotation, as unfortunate as that is.
292888 292891 295000
A poll: should we change our name to "Free Market Party of Equestria"?
Laissez Faire FTW! I'm planning on writing a story centered around capitalism. That sounds boring but yeah
293296
PROMOTIONS!
SURPRISE! You're all admins now. Use this power responsibly... or don't. Knock yourselves out.
293065 Well, we have to remember Equestria is fictional, and is very strange. There are aspects of their culture that is ancient (such as castles and chariots), alongside advanced machinery and technology (skyscrapers and heavy machinery). It's a very potent mix of old and new. Trade doesn't seem too large a part of their culture, as communities don't need very much (steel, concrete, and computerized electronics aren't needed for ponies). It works for ponies, but we humans are very reliant on each other for inter/intranational trade.
Also, if a human accountant wanted to start an apple business, there's not much stopping him except for potential debt. For a pony accountant who wanted to be an apple farmer, theres the pesky "my cutie mark destines me to be an accountant" shtick getting in the way. If ponies wanted a true free market society, they would need to somehow disregard the myth of self-imposed manifest destiny.
And for your group name suggestion: I dunno. Maybe we should vote on it.
293009
I was thinking more along the lines of a trust fund that lets him live off the interest. But yes, he is almost certainly living off stolen wealth extorted from the populace via taxation.
Has no one ever heard of arbitrage? Even with a small town, there should still be trade with the rest of the world keeping prices low. If the land is good for apple farming, then they should be specializing in apples and exporting them in exchange for other goods. That's the division of labor, the foundation of prosperity.
How about the Industrialist Party of Equestria?
PS: Omnomnom! Cookies!