Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Post No. 146f: Article of Interest re Possible Government Interference with Free Market Capitalism at Work?
The following article is taken from the August 31, 2010 electronic edition of the Detroit News.
GROWING STRIP CLUB CHAIN STIRS PASSIONS
by Christine MacDonald and Santiago Esparza
Detroit - It's tough to miss Starvin Marvin's strip clubs. They're huge, flashy and as over the top as their manager, whose lawyer dubs him the "P.T. Barnum" of topless entertainment.
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Come on conservatives. You're always talking about keeping the government out of our lives. Where are your comments on this one. Shouldn't this man be left alone to pursue his business as he pleases?
ReplyDeleteI'll bite, Anonymous, would you support his right to do business next to your daughter's school? We have always had restrictions on location. But we also fought monopolies and trusts. This guy seems bent on controlling the strip club industry. On one hand, I'd say more power to him. On the other, I wonder if his success is at the expense of the community.
ReplyDeleteBut I think you are confusing "conservatives" with "libertarians".
Douglas:
ReplyDeleteUntil anonymous has an opportunity to revisit the site and respond to you directly, we'll interpose a question:
Are you suggesting that libertarians want government completely out of our lives for the most part, and that conservatives want the government in to some extent, but not in the same areas sought by liberals / progressives?
Do conservatives want governmental involvement in areas 1, 3, 5, and 7, whereas liberals want them in areas 2, 4, 6, and 8? Is it a matter of degree that distinguishes them?
(We understand that all of these labels have definitional complexities.)
Libertarians, in my understanding, want nothing from government except to protect our borders and fight wars. That's simplistic but definitive enough. A libertarian feels pretty much on his own. He will take advantage of government programs but doesn't require them or want them.
ReplyDeleteBoth conservatives and liberals want government to do more. Just not the same "more".
Conservatives mostly just resist change. Beyond that, they may support libertarian ideas (up to a point... usually involving morals as they see them). I would classify them as non-activist.
Liberals not only embrace change but seek it, desire it. And worry about its consequences later. I would classify them as activist.
I think we get mixed up these days with labels assigned to political parties. I have known many conservatives who were registered Democrats. Likewise, many liberals registered as Republican. There, you might find it's a matter of degree.
Ask yourself what traits are conservative and what traits are liberal. Just as you see it, not as a dictionary definition might suggest. Then ask yourself where you really stand.
I think you will find that people aren't one or the other. It's situational.
It's different for libertarians, I think. They are ideologues. When they say "no government interference", they mean it. They would be wholly supportive of the guy trying to corner the strip club market.
The conservative may oppose it because he sees the business as immoral. He may feel it is detrimental to the community and society.
The liberal may oppose it because he sees the business as exploitive and demeaning to women.
Both of these are positions based on morality, I think.
They both might oppose it just because they dislike the concept of monopoly.
Another place where you might see liberals and conservatives aligned is regarding legalized gambling. For different specific reasons but united in opposition.
Yet for other issues they may be on opposite sides. And both believe they have the moral high ground. Consider abortion, for example.
What I was trying to say to anonymous was that he was confusing "free marketers" with "conservatives." Libertarians tend to be, by the nature of the ideology, free marketers. And, so far as I know, free marketers have no problems with the concept of monopoly.
But that's just how I see it. I hope my answer wasn't too rambling and muddled.
Douglas:
ReplyDeleteWe can't say that we disagree (at least not strongly) with a whole lot of what you wrote. In fact, in our comment responsive to your comment on our Christopher Hitchens / Glenn Beck post (to which we still plan to respond, since you provided lots of meat), we joked about someone hacking into your computer, when you suggested that some common ground was being sought through the Restore to Honor Rally.
We'll say this: If the various ideologues could characterize their camps and goals as you generally articulated, then there might be some hope for the search for common ground amongst them.
In our view, you are to be complimented, particularly since we know that you have some strong views about certain issues, which some might consider as placing you on one side of the aisle. Nice job.
We only wish that others could intellectually perform the same analysis, whether it is accurate, by definition, or not.
Thank you. I do have strong opinions on any number of things, some of those opinions contradict others if examined closely. I am human, after all. That does not mean that I cannot view issues objectively. At least, I hope it doesn't.
ReplyDeleteAn off topic question, if you don't mind.
ReplyDeleteYou have several phrases that are conspicuously marked with the TM symbol but, as of this writing, none of the following show up in a USPTO Trademark search:
- “It’s Your Turn” ™
- "There Are More Than 2 Or 3 Ways To View Any Issue; There Are At Least 27"™
- "Experience Isn't Expensive; It's Priceless"™
- "Common Sense should be a Way of Life"™
Are they registered within your state, or have they just not hit the USPTO system yet? Or is this a common law means of reserving trademarks.
I have one US trademark, and if there's a less expensive way of having a mark than the roughly $1,500 I paid, I'd love to try it.
Thanks.
PS: Seriously! "Starvin' Marvin" strip clubs? Evokes a used car salesman; "Our Prices Are Insaaaaaane!?"
Very "Crazy Eddie!"
Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteWe are not, of course, allowed to provide legal advice. However, you pretty much answered your own question. We'll state the following which you would find in virtually any reference book in the library on intellectual property protection.
Yes, Virginia, there is common law trademark law. Registration provides further and broader notice, and has a bearing on your proof at trial and your remedies.