it’s not about posting comments that are in agreement with eric. or me for that matter. but it seems like every time you comment you rip on anybody who suggests that maybe, just maybe that the hyper-capitalism we have today is flawed on some levels. again, just because communism and socialism have failed doesn’t mean that capitalism is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

so get off the communist/socialist kick. and if you feel so inclined to continue to pick fights and call out friends of mine, then i’m going to kindly ask you to find another blog to visit. or go discuss shit on wikipedia threads. because this blog is like my living room. i don’t come into your living room calling your friends out and accusing them of things when i don’t know them. so if my friends are saying that you’re offending them and getting on their nerves . . . then you’re offending me and getting on my nerves.

i’m all about being generous of views that are different than mine. but i expect the same generosity to be reciprocated. if not . . . find a therapy session somewhere else.

“Personally I think you’re trolling, and that your original comment wasn’t meant to be a joke, partially or otherwise ”

Anyone who questions “emergent economics” is trolling dude. I have been around the emergent blog scene for a while, and I am always amazed at some of the statements people make about economics; and they actually get away with this stuff unchallenged.

Just like you, I believe in economic freedom, fair commerce, trade and fair living for all humans; after all we are all made in the image of God and we all deserve living conditions worthy of the Creator’s very own children. But I will not subscribe to those principles within a framework that lacks any economic sense or substance. To repeat what I already said, I think it’s great that Tim can make great money off those shirts; I hope they sell millions of them and become very successful in this enterprise; and also at the same time acknowledge that it IS about profit, whether it is small, big, or you put it back into the business, or you use it to help other people; none of it would exist without the “markup” on the product – profit is what drives it all. If that was not the case, Tim should make a pledge to sell the shirts at cost, with no markup whatsoever.

“Next time, perhaps it would be a better idea to try and build someone up who’s doing something to make the world better instead of tearing them down.”

Next time I’ll try to keep my comments to myself to avoid offending someone; if you are making the world better by selling t-shirts, that’s great; but try to take a trip down to some Romanian orphanages too…where most of the children have AIDS because some socialist bastard somewhere thought it was OK to socialize medicine and make it “equal and fair” for everyone (translate into “crappy and deadly”). The motto should be: “Changing the world through sound economic principles?”

I have no interest in debates Eric – but if you only expect comments to be posted in agreement here, then I will certainly stop commenting.

Personally I think you’re trolling, and that your original comment wasn’t meant to be a joke, partially or otherwise – there are plenty of ways to indicate a statement as such and your comment lacks any of them. Your assumption that Josh finds anything wrong with niche markets is… confusing, given a lack of any substantial statements to say as such. And the reason he broke his fast was because you managed to put the owner on the defensive with your quip.

Next time, perhaps it would be a better idea to try and build someone up who’s doing something to make the world better instead of tearing them down. If you’d like a good ole fashioned debate about a similar topic where the discussion of profit and global good are much more blurry: Product Red discussions. – it also gave rise to a mini-motto of this blog, “because something is always better than nothing, right Nick?”