Ferraris (For All) Just Become More Affordable!

Daniel Ben Ami's excellent Ferraris for All: In defence of economic progress is out in paperback in the U.K. Reason interviewed him when the hardcover came out in 2010. Take a look by clicking above. Here's our original writeup:

Uploaded by ReasonTV on Oct 11, 2010

Who the hell's against economic progress?

Author Daniel Ben-Ami tackles that question in his new book, FERRARIS FOR ALL, which looks at how concerns over inequality, the environment, and excessive greed slow economic growth and hurt the poor. A regular contributor to the British online magazine SPIKED, Ben-Ami believes these rationales are partially a cover for the real agenda of the super rich: keeping all the wealth (and Ferraris) for themselves.

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie sat down with Ben-Ami to talk about the repercussions and ulterior motives of growth skepticism.

Approximately six minutes. Shot by Dan Hayes and Meredith Bragg. Edited by Josh Swain.

Go to http://reason.tv for HD, iPod and audio versions of this video and subscribe to Reason.tv's Youtube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Comments

[Sevo]

"Ben-Ami believes these rationales are partially a cover for the real agenda of the super rich: keeping all the wealth (and Ferraris) for themselves."

See?
Right there's a good reason not to waste 6 minutes.

[R C Dean]

I've never met a rich person (and I've met a few) who had the slightest interest in keeping other people poor.

I'm not clear at all about why the rich would sponsor attacks on themselves as a way of accomplishing something that I've never heard a rich person say that they want.

[Sevo]

"I'm not clear at all about why the rich would sponsor attacks on themselves as a way of accomplishing something that I've never heard a rich person say that they want."

And how would they do it? Is there a 'super-rich bridge parley' where between hands they think up ways of keeping others poor?
And if they are, they're doing a piss poor job of it:
"Number of poor people in developing countries dropped to record low levels..."
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/201.....els-study/
I, for one, expect more from our rich!

[Almanian]

We Masons laugh at you proles and your "conspiracies of the [powerless] 'rich'".

MWWWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[H man]

poverty defined as $1.25 a day. Bernake is trying very hard to fix that problem.

[CE]

28, 33 and 35 percent tax brackets on income, compared to 15 percent tax on long term capital gains is one way the rich keep high income wage slave from becoming rich.

[Sevo]

CE|3.14.12 @ 2:19PM|#
"28, 33 and 35 percent tax brackets on income, compared to 15 percent tax on long term capital gains is one way the rich keep high income wage slave from becoming rich."

Hint: Look up "non-sequitur". You might not look so silly.
Oh, and stuff the 'wage slave' crap.

[Lost_in_translation]

The average Honda Fit can outbrake, out corner and outlast a Ferrari from the 60's, maybe even 70's. But no, it doesn't look like an Italian supercar so obviously humanity hasnt advanced at all.

The rich are the ultimate beta testers and frequently are the ones that end up with a whole bunch of outdated technology that gets repackaged into much nicer end products later for alot less.

I don't still pine for laserdiscs, eight tracks or other gadgetry from the past that is now obsolete. Ferraris and other old cars going for alot of money are more about buyers buying art rather than functionality so it's hard to say the little guy gets screwed by not having "art".

[CE]

I bet the 60's Ferrari is still faster from 0-60 than the Honda Fit though.

[Jersey Patriot]

Author Daniel Ben-Ami tackles that question in his new book, FERRARIS FOR ALL, which looks at how concerns over inequality, the environment, and excessive greed slow economic growth and hurt the poor.

Someone else could write a book about how libertarianism's excessive concern for the individual does the same thing. After all, an individual's property and liberty can get in the way of the economy. Kelo anyone? Unless we've turned into economic growth utilitarians, we know other things are more important. The question is "Which ones?"

[Sevo]

Jersey Patriot|3.14.12 @ 12:08PM|#
"Someone else could write a book about how libertarianism's excessive concern for the individual does the same thing."

Yeah, they could. Why not you? You're awfully good at making up lies.

[R C Dean]

And it would probably be just as valid as the thesis that the rich are secretly attacking themselves to achieve a goal none of them want.

an individual's property and liberty can get in the way of the economy.

Can they? Over any kind of wider scope and time frame?

Kelo anyone?

An excellent example for anyone who wants to argue that sacrificing the individual's property for "economic development" doesn't work.

Since the development that Kelo's house was seized for never happened.

[CE]

There'll never be Ferraris for all. They're a luxury brand, and will keep making them more expensive to make sure not many can afford them.

Large screen, flat panel, HDTVs for all would have been a better title.

[Suthenboy]

I wouldnt trade my wrangler for ten ferraris.

I have to concur with RC on this. I know several 'rich' people and they have no interest whatsoever in keeping anyone poor. In fact, the opposite is true.

Ben-ami is correct that " concerns over inequality, the environment, and excessive greed slow economic growth and hurt the poor.", but conspiracy by the rich to keep everyone poor is nonsense. I would say it is probably motivated by the same as the concerns he lists, which is envy of the rich.

[Sevo]

"Ben-ami is correct that " concerns over inequality, the environment, and excessive greed slow economic growth and hurt the poor.", but conspiracy by the rich to keep everyone poor is nonsense. I would say it is probably motivated by the same as the concerns he lists, which is envy of the rich."

While envy is the motivator, the proximate cause are laws based on the same misunderstanding that Ben-ami shows; that wealth is the result of a series of zero-sum transactions. Those laws presume the only way to increase the wealth of the poor is to take it from the more prosperous.
This is obviously wrong; if that were the case, 5Bn people would still be arguing over who gets to eat the lichen and who eats the stone.
But in spite of all evidence, the shitheads of the world continue with the fantasy to the detriment of all of us.

[Lord Humungus]

hmm... about the cheapest Ferrari I've seen was ~40k for an 80s Magnum-PI-type.

Some brands retain their value quite well. Heck, even McIntosh amps from the 60s/70s are often worth more than their (even dollar inflated) initial cost.