My summation of the discussion would be "Sean didn't mean any harm by it! He just likes playing with the idea!"

This too.

Even if our two strawmen did nothing but meditate, one would be willing to pay $X to make the other quit breathing through his mouth or wash his feet or whatever

That's not very null, is it? My thetical (and oh-so-impractical) society doesn't have any intersecting values placed on anything. Nothing is ever exchanged.

Stealing--does that imply an economy? Would a null economy proposition require everyone to be self sufficient? Or for it to be a commune like environment where everyone gives and takes from the same big pool with no limits placed on what one can give or take? Would that still be null?

"Check out Jesus. He's alright"

"Jesus is just all right with me . . ."

Connie beat me to it.

N.b. I don't actually know what pari-mutuel betting is, just that it's a point of debate among style guides and anyway kind of a cool word, like passerine or igneous .

I could explain it! It's kind of (and I know this will only make sense in my head) the preferential voting of betting! But less wanky!

(Okay, so it's pooled/co-op betting, where the odds are determined by those betting and are variable until the close of the pool, rather than fixed odds set by a bookie.)

Heh...Cornerboys For Christ. "Eternal Salvation" does sound like a good name for, um, product, she said blasphemously. But endorsing solid economic principles.

Semantic constraints are everybody's friends, people!

These are people whom I would like to kick in the hindparts, or possibly rip them off.

This sentence would not be ambiguous at all, in Ancient Greek. Also, it is not actually ambiguous in English at all, because, I have reality on my side!!

Also, I don't think you should talk trash about those people's economy. If they value the gift card at over $25, that's their business. Poor things.

Oh, no. If they value a $20 gift card at $25, it is my capitalist duty to relieve them of that extra $5 toot sweet, and as many times as I can sucker them into doing it.

My thetical (and oh-so-impractical) society doesn't have any intersecting values placed on anything. Nothing is ever exchanged.

Update to ita's file, sub-tab "Self-Sufficiency Fetish"

Mmmm, a whole economy based on thievery. Can you make it work, or would you need patsies honest people?

Well it's got to be a chocolate Jesus
Make me feel good inside
Got to be a chocolate Jesus
Keep me satisfied

I see that Bush wants to expand the military.

>[link]

This seems nuts to me. Our military spending is equal to combined military budgets of the rest of the world. If that is insufficient for fighting people armed with small arms, RPGs, and improvised explosives; then the strategy is wrong.

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If they value a $20 gift card at $25, it is my capitalist duty to relieve them of that extra $5 toot sweet, and as many times as I can sucker them into doing it.

They're not suckers if that's honestly what they want, are they? If I can't get a $20 gift card for $20, and I NEED a gift card, what are the alternatives?

You might decide I don't need a gift card, but that's not your call. It's mine.