12 May 2023

Zero Sum Game

A core tenet for selling socialism to people who cannot do math is the idea that capitalism is a zero sum game.

For someone to gain, another must lose.

That's true, except for reality.

There's even a pre-historic example of both sides gaining.

Tribe A did not have access to the materials to make spears.  Tribe B did not have the materials to make baskets.

Tribe A needs spears.  Tribe B needs baskets.

How to solve the problem?

Apparently, they traded baskets for spears.

We know this happened because we looked at the materials they left behind.

Who lost in this?

Tribe A gets something they cannot make for themselves in exchange for something they can.

So does Tribe B.

Everyone is up in this trade.

I think that socialists are confusing mutually beneficial trade and opportunity cost.

Once Tribe A trades its basket for a spear, they can no longer use that basket.  Treating this as a loss ignores that Tribe A needs spears!

Of note, the armed tribe, Tribe B, did not simply conquer Tribe A.

1 comment:

  1. Every time I get into a reasonably civil discussion with a Bernie Boy (as socialist as we get in my area) Pretty soon I ask a simple question.

    What business have you ever started, own or ran?

    That seems to kill them off instantly as the answer is "What does that matter"? or more honestly, I've never owned or started a business (generally followed by a litany of "Reasons it was rigged against him").

    Per Orville's 1984 "Ignorance is Power" proven daily by socialists everywhere.

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