[pure-silver] Re: OT Ebay to take Paypal only..
----- Original Message ----- From: "Tim Daneliuk" <tundra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:44 AM
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: OT Ebay to take Paypal only..



Bogdan Karasek wrote:

Hi,
Just to add my two Loonies worth to the issue. I am very glad that the Australians did something about eBay's preposterous attempt to set up a monopoly but you must remember that the current US American President has stated on numerous occasions that the government has no right to interfere in the free market place, after all "government is the problem, not the solution" (Ronald Reagan) . So I wouldn't hold my breath. eBay will do what it wants, after all it is looking after our 
interests :)  (This is sarcasm on my part)

Cheers,
Bogdan
Uh ... you're all missing the point. eBay is a private sector company that cannot use the force of government to make you do anything. If you or I don't like their policies, we can simply choose not to use them. They are not being coercive. They are not creating a monopoly. They are not evil. They are simply running their business as they see fit. They have this privilege and I have the privilege of participating 
or not.  I don't see what all the screaming is about.
There is something subtley wrong with this logic. First of all they ARE trying to create a monopoly, namely the method of paying for stuff. The first part of the argument assumes that government is the only way of forcing something: its not. If eBay takes payment only throught Paypal _that_ is force and you have no choice. Of course one can simply refuse to use eBay and I think people should. eBay is not quite a monopoly but probably comes pretty close. Thirdly, I challenge the idea that simply running a buisiness as they see fit is sufficient reason to accept any sort of corporate behavior. Taking your argument to its conclusion it would allow practically anything to be done. For instance, the current economic melt down (to borrow a TV news phrase) is the sort of thing that happens if one allows business to simply pursue the path of least resistance. I, for one, claim the right to complain if I think someone is trying to cheat me and demand that that behavior be stopped. 

--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
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