Bringing back feudalism—is libertarianism an unwitting tool?

[RandomGuy]

"successful State that does good and useful things by general consensus and assent"

airy fairy bull . let's see some SPECIFIC CONCRETE laws, regulations, actions, not a bunch theoretical motherhood and apple pie tripe.

Again, go back and re-read. You are both essentially saying the same thing, just slightly differently.

[TeyshaBlue]

TB content free snarkiness and non-responses.

Thanks for my daily allowance of Vitamin I.

[boutons_deux]

Thanks for my daily allowance of Vitamin I.

TB posts as empty as his used condoms

[TeyshaBlue]

You think about me too much. Get a hobby.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

"capitalism is not being helped by the rising oligarchs. It is being killed by them."

bull . unregulated capitalism is economic Darwinism, survival and domination by the fittest, richest, and most ruthless, and often the most corrupt.

RISE THE PROLETARIAT!!

[Winehole23]

In 2009, the US government passed bipartisan legislation designed to make the credit card industry fairer, and hold down credit card fees. Economists are flabbergasted to find that it did those things.
Floyd Norris reports that when economists decided to study the effects of the law, they expected that they would be negligible, due to cunning credit card companies finding loopholes and such. Nope:

But his expectation was wrong. The study came to a conclusion that surprised Mr. Mahoney and his colleagues: The regulation worked. It cut down the costs of credit cards, particularly for borrowers with poor credit... [The economists estimate] that the law is saving American consumers $20.8 billion a year.

The government passed a law to reduce credit card fees and as a result credit card fees were reduced. It almost seems as if government regulation of capitalism's excesses and exploitative practices may benefit consumers. (And, when people fatalistically assume that reform is a lost cause because financial companies are so crafty and well-connected that they can somehow cir vent every law, it's fair to say: Make them prove it.)

http://gawker.com/economists-shocked...rks-1460814319

From the comments:

Since the Finance and insurance industries have essentially become [a] rent-seeking black hole in our economy, it seems that their regulation would actually make the markets more free. Yesterday 10:53am

[pgardn]

^^^

Consumers can now theoretically, if they choose, spend their money on other sectors of the economy that are not practicing the art of creating consumer slaves.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Just something to think about relating to these posts^, I think consumer finance will be a major player in the next giant credit bubble we see. The wealth inequality in this country is bad enough now that it along with deregulation creates a perfect storm for a consumer debt bubble. A middle class with no wealth so it relies on credit cards, auto le lending, etc. to buy anything that costs more than a few hundred bucks, lenders that have the ability to issue high yield, high risk junk consumer debt then package it as a marketable security, and investors with more cash than ever starved for yield producing assets so they'll pay a higher premium for riskier debt. Once interest rates go back up the hedge funds and PE funds with billions in floating rate consumer debt on their books will be in deep .