Oh, and Charlie, concering your responses to my previous posts.
In the case of the three thousand dollr transaction, you are mistaken. Actual WEALTH, not utility is increased because each party has more than he had previously. Wealth, and value is not intrinsic to an object. an item or service is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If I’m willing to pay $3000 for a car that means the car is worth more than $3000 to me so I now have more than $3000.
As far as Bill Gates making anyone poor, yes some individuals may have lost wealth but the total amount of wealth in the world has been increased by Mr. Gates activities. Those who lost money aren’t poorer because Gates is rich. They are poorer because they made bad decisions or because their product wasn’t as desireable as Microsoft’s or because Bill Gates was a better businessman than they were. There are always winners and losers in any competition but Bill Gates, besides being a winner himself , made millions of other winners by creating an entire industry where none previously existed. Bill Gates represents the best argument for a free market economy.
P.S. I am not a laisez faire capitalist. There certainly is a need for government oversight in business and the economy, but that is a subject for another discussion.