Competition

Questions to Ponder:
1. Why is our entire financial and economic system predicated on competition?

2. Why is competition an assumed good for improving the economy?

3. Does competition really ensure good quality and low prices?
4. Is competition really the only thing that can ensure good quality and low prices?

5. Isn’t the price exacted, in terms of our social relationships, quality of life, and other intangible indicators, too high, just to have some mythical product quality?
6. Isn’t the price exacted, in terms of our social relationships, quality of life, and other intangible indicators, too high, just to have an economy that keeps producing too much so that some people can be really rich, and the rest just sort of get by?

7. Hi, sorry, I’m really having trouble being even somewhat impartial this week. Do bear with me. :)
8. Also, for the record, I’m not really 100% down with the second article, it’s just the only one I could find on the internet on this theme. I’m still trying to articulate why I find this article somewhat troublesome, hopefully by the time we get to the discussion I’ll be a bit clearer.

Discussion Question:

Is competition inhumane?

Choose a side:
Team A) No. Competition is necessary to help people improve their world. If you don’t have to make sure you’re better than someone else, you have no incentive to improve.
Team B) Yes. In a sane world where people were given enough time to truly develop their interests, and where they really enjoyed their work, people would naturally try to improve themselves because that’s actually the most interesting thing to do.
Team C) Moderator.
Team D) ______. ____________________________________________.

Articles
LLLI Alumni Association: MEET LORELEI DE LA REZA, Senior Olympian, Embracer of Life
Competition -- An Inhuman Activity
Working Mother: The Case Against Competition