Joys of Eviction

The Free Market ^ | April 2001 | Jeremy Sepienza

[GeronL]

The Free Market archives

its a motherlode of good and interesting articles on economics

[GeronL]

another goody from mises.org

[cyborg]

I get enough schadenfreude from FR.

[Happygal]

I don't like this article, because the facts about the bad tenant aren't up in the first few pars.

Somebody breezing by a site, and reading this, may not read the whole thing. Makes the author seem very inhuman.

Bad journalism, IMO.

[GeronL]

well, its not journalism. I think that any reasonable knows that evicting deadbeats is common and they rarely evict people who pay the rent.

[Happygal]

Well, I didn't know.

But then again, I'm not from the US.
I don't know what your tenant/landlord laws are, exactly.

I am a journalist though, and the piece is written in a sensational manner...one, which, most conservatives, wouldn't appreciate IMO.

[GeronL]

Judging by the title I'd say he was aiming for humor... and he works in the real estate business, so writing must be a second income

[Happygal]

I'm not really trying to be argumentative here.

I just don't think the piece is very good.
The big 'A-ha, but you didn't know this' revelation at the end is...well, corny (if he's going for humour).


Anyway, that's just my opinion on it.

I'm sure others thought/think it was great?

[GeronL]

Its not really up to the standards over at FREE MARKET newsletter

They probably just considered it an episode that will help explain the free market system. The crook got what he deserved.

Their other articles are actually scholarly in some respects and more detailed on the economics of it

what type of journalism do you do?

[Happygal]

No doubt the wee git got his comeuppance..should have said that at the get-go, though, IMO.

I'm a senior reporter/columnist with the biggest provincial group in the Republic of Ireland.

That means, I write once monthly opinion columns, while covering the hard news in the region.

[GeronL]

I understand tax cuts did wonders for Ireland and it even stopped the net loss of population every year. Too bad the Euro-peons didn't learn a lesson.

[the invisib1e hand]

I don't know whether this nonsense is a hoax or not, but it provides a contextual venue for a reminder of the following truth: economics is meant to serve people.

to wit: the production and distribution of goods and services (an economic system) serves the purpose of getting those goods and services to the point of need or demand. Profit is what is earned in the process. Notice that profit is secondary, meeting the need is primary.

[GeronL]

profit is the motive for the service, its also what makes the delivery of the service more efficient and more widely available.

[the invisib1e hand]

profit is the motive for the service, its also what makes the delivery of the service more efficient and more widely available.

can't argue with that. profit is what entices people to meet the needs of others.

[GeronL]

I agree with Mises that basically anything done by government can be done more efficiently and more effectively by private enterprise... except possibly wage a military war on another country I suppose.

[the invisib1e hand]

There is more to that argument than 'efficiency.' There is also the issue of propriety and/or duty.

Some things are the moral responsibility of government. Protection of basic liberty and property rights, for example. Protecting the innocent, etc. Protecting the rights of people to protect themselves might be an interesting point just about now.

[GeronL]

'the invisible hand'... didn't a french guy come up with that? Bastiat or something?

I agree with you... but even the civil courts can be privatized (binding arbitration) and we definitely need to stop forcing people onto juries... the jury becomes involuntary servants while innocent but the accused is innocent until proven guilty.

And of course, if we had a small Constitutional government there will be many more positions open for private security personnel, at better pay. That will help cut down on crime and allow us to maybe trim off a few cops from the payrolls in the big cities.

of course that one is a ways off even if we do get a flat tax and small government...

People may have to learn capitalism all over again.

[the invisib1e hand]

I don't know if I made it clear but I think that regaling in an eviction is pretty dismal business.

and you're kidding about the 'invisible hand' question, right? Please tell me you are. This whole thread is a big joke right? It is, isn't it?

[GeronL]

No... this article appeared in the FREE MARKET newsletter in April 2001

Its just an example of how things are supposed to work in a free market system... granted its probably the worst written article they ever published....

Why would my question be a joke?

[the invisib1e hand]

Its just an example of how things are supposed to work in a free market system... granted its probably the worst written article they ever published....

well, maybe in Rand's free market system...but probably not in Adam Smith's free market system.

Adam Smith is the first person I read who used the term 'invisible hand.'