Debating with a friend of mine

Get advice, tips, or help with science or religion debates that you are currently participating in.

Moderator: Alyrium Denryle

Post Reply
User avatar
WesFox13
Padawan Learner
Posts: 274
Joined: 2007-02-14 11:50am
Location: Sammamish, WA, USA
Contact:

Debating with a friend of mine

Post by WesFox13 »

Hey all, I'm debating with someone right now, he was basically saying for me to watch some videos on some guys youtube account and when I looked at the titles such as "Moving Beyond the Fake Stimulus: Reviewing Policies that Produce Real Growth" and "Keynesian Economics Is Wrong: Bigger Gov't Is Not Stimulus" I just immediataly saw that the guy was a free market funadamentalist.
Here is the account in question:
http://www.youtube.com/user/afq2007
I chatted with my friend Via MSN and here's what we talked about.

Friend: So did you watch any of the videos on that channel?
Friend: If so, what did you think?
Wesley:nope
Wesley:but looking at the titles they are typical free market fundamentalism
Friend:Uh huh.
Friend: So how are you today?
Wesley : goods
Wesley: hey
Friend: What do you mean "typical free market fundamentalism"?
Wesley says: They type that people believe "Oh let the free market do it's work, it'll regulate itself".
Wesley says: even though that will have a snowball's chance of hell happening, the free market usually will choose the most chaotic and painful path to do so.
friend: Why do you believe that (read: what is your evidence)?
Wesley: Well, based on many things. If the free market were just left completely alone, with no governmental intervention, the banks would collapse, the implosion of the financial sector would wipe out new business creation, business investment, financing, and pretty much every other investment activity that goes on expectations, and this would set off a chain of manufacturing and retail failures, demand would go further down, unemployment would shoot up, and the economy would enter a period of prolonged contraction until the enterprising individuals who start new banks in the midst of the tailspin gain enough traction to resume large-scale lending. And it's somewhat unrealistic to expect companies to regulate themselves because as we've seen they usually won't unless the government intervenes.
Conclusion: the economy will fix its economic problems, it's just that it will screw over alot of people doing it.
friend :Anything to back up your opinions beside this...idle speculation and strawmanning of positions?
Wesley: Well, look at the high amount of debt we've built up along with the economic crisis we're in, I mean all of those things were made by the foolish assumption that the people of the future would be able to pay it off, Our debt is now so massive that even 100 percent taxation wouldn't be enough to pay it off.
friend: If we taxes 100%, no one would work.
Wesley: I know
Wesley: I'm just saying that It'll be pratically impossible to completely pay it all off even with 100% taxation.
friend: You need to watch the videos, evaluate the evidence the guy presents, insteading of
1. strawmanning the capitalist position.
2. enhance your understanding of ficsal policy.
3. Stop buying into the propaganda politicians keep throwing at you.
4. stop being hypocritical by exercising the same dogmatic stints you're accusing them of.
I've watched all of the videos, and am now a free market/supply side advocate because of the economics class I took,
and because of the evidence presented both by this person, and others. All of what you said was so vague, I don't see how you relate it to what's going on. Even in the videos, one of the points is that the free market can, and does help the poor and the middle class, and that both the democrats, and the republicans are to blame.
friend: Anyways, I g2g now. TTYL.
Wesley: see ya.

Does anyone have any help for me in trying to debate with him?
My Political Compass:
Economic Left/Right: -5.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.90

Designation: Libertarian Left (Social Democrat/Democratic Socialist)
Alignment: Chaotic-Good
User avatar
Wyrm
Jedi Council Member
Posts: 2206
Joined: 2005-09-02 01:10pm
Location: In the sand, pooping hallucinogenic goodness.

Re: Debating with a friend of mine

Post by Wyrm »

Hoover did exactly what free market fundamentalism recommends: letting the free market regulate itself, and let bank system tank.

We all know how well that turned out.
Darth Wong on Strollers vs. Assholes: "There were days when I wished that my stroller had weapons on it."
wilfulton on Bible genetics: "If two screaming lunatics copulate in front of another screaming lunatic, the result will be yet another screaming lunatic. 8)"
SirNitram: "The nation of France is a theory, not a fact. It should therefore be approached with an open mind, and critically debated and considered."

Cornivore! | BAN-WATCH CANE: XVII | WWJDFAKB? - What Would Jesus Do... For a Klondike Bar? | Evil Bayesian Conspiracy
Samuel
Sith Marauder
Posts: 4750
Joined: 2008-10-23 11:36am

Re: Debating with a friend of mine

Post by Samuel »

Point him towards the bank runs of the 19th century.
Post Reply