[seibelj]

It is interesting to me to read your thought process. I still cannot disagree more.

No one discovers a scientific breakthrough until they do. That breakthrough may have been an inevitable result of multiple independent teams working on it, the prior research hitting a certain point, technology advancing to provide the tools, and so on. Yet we praise the team that actually discovered it.

Similarly I don’t care if “an” Amazon was inevitable. It was Bezos that founded it and Amazon that did it. I am an individualist and I appreciate that we have superstars in all manner of art, academia, and business as well. These are what move society forwards. The moment I’m forced to start giving my stuff away to the collective is the moment I leave. I’m happy Bezos is rich as I’m happy sports stars and musicians are rich - it’s great they made our lives better.

[ncmncm]

A scientific breakthrough is intrinsically more meaningful and valuable, in every important way, than a business monopoly. The monopoly necessarily exploited a momentary, conditional weakness in the business and regulatory environment and then defended itself against what should have been competition.

We are all much poorer for as long as any monopoly holds onto its market power.

[seibelj]

A successful business is not prima facie a monopoly. Leftists like to cast all rich business people as monopolists who don’t deserve their money, yet glide over musicians, athletes, artists, writers, and all others in the creative professions who are rich yet are somehow more “deserving” of their wealth as they talk on their iPhones and type on their laptops.

I see starting and operating businesses as not only extremely difficult but arguably more valuable to society than another play or book. Yes, I love books. But in terms of usefulness to society a cheaper taco or a faster diaper delivery is on the whole a huge gain for society.

Soviet Russia made some good literature. But I don’t want humanity to live under the boot of communism so that a few books are written.

[ncmncm]

The businesses you like to lionize do operate mainly in the mode of monopolies.

[seibelj]

No comment on anything I said, then throw up a straw man. It appears I am indeed arguing with someone without a coherent opinion.