Wal-Mart and more

[David Hobby]

Dan M wrote:
...
> Would you consider this an reasonable, non right wing source?  Or, how about
> Paul Krugman....he has made a statement that frames the question in a way
> that I think could lead to a very fruitful discussion. I'm not saying that
> he and I agree on everything, but a good thread could be started from what
> he wrote.  He is well know as a leftist economist turned columnist.  

Dan--

I read Krugman regularly, and usually agree with him.

...
> But, simply stating that Wal-Mart is evil and greedy, when its profit margin
> is 3.4% and an operating margin of 5.8% of sales and Microsoft is not, when
> its profit margin is 22.9% and an operating margin of 40.7% is not, as self
> evident doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.  

Let's see:  "evil" does not have much explanatory power
or actual meaning, and as for "greedy", corporations
usually have to be greedy, or their shareholders object.

Different business sectors tend to have different profit
margins.  That explains some of it.

> So, let me ask three simple yes or no questions at the end of this for you
> and David.  
> 
> 1) Are you interested in a discussion on the vision of myself and at least
> one other person who was an active poster that discussions are often
> thwarted by pronouncements that come as if they come from Olympus, rather
> than arguments that folks want others to discuss so the author can test
> their own ideas?

How exactly does a pronouncement thwart a discussion?
All it means is that the one making the pronouncement
isn't going to have a more detailed argument with you.
(For whatever reason.)  As far as I'm concerned, such
a pronouncement is often an admission that one can't
compete on a factual basis.

> 2) Are you interested in a discussion of how and whether statistics play a
> part in developing greater understanding vs. reading stories, having them
> touch your heart, and then coming to an understanding of truth?

Hmmm...  Sounds like a pretty fuzzy topic for discussion.
It almost sounds like the problem would be that not everybody
shares the same definition of "truth".

> 3) Are you interested in discussing what I just quoted and will requote:
> 
> " The third is a discussion of the case at hand: if we (as I think we do)
> agree that improving the lives of the poorer among us at least _a_
> worthwhile goal, has Wal-Mart done more to aid or more to harm those lives."

Sure, but it may not be a long discussion.  Some people
lose, and other gain, when Wal-Mart comes to town...

				---David