
“It is not necessary to prohibit or encourage oddities of conduct which are not harmful.”
Napoleon : In His Own Words (1916)
From Who protects the consumer?, an episode of the PBS Free to Choose television series (1980, vol. 7 transcript) http://www.freetochoosemedia.org/freetochoose/detail_ftc1980_transcript.php?page=7
“It is not necessary to prohibit or encourage oddities of conduct which are not harmful.”
Napoleon : In His Own Words (1916)
In reference to a suggestion by Microsoft's Peter Moore that one could buy a Wii and an Xbox 360 for the price of a PlayStation 3
On Nintendo's competitors
Source: USA Today: Nintendo hopes Wii spells wiiner http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-08-14-nintendo-qa_x.htm
1910s, The Progressives, Past and Present (1910)
Source: The Production of Security (1849), p. 22
“Competition does a much more effective job than government at protecting consumers.”
Bogeyman Economics
1980s–1990s, Compassion Versus Guilt and Other Essays (1987)
Source: Compassion Versus Guilt, and Other Essays: And Other Essays
Source: Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism (1917), Chapter Three
Context: All the rules of control, the publication of balance sheets, the drawing up of balance sheets according ot a definite form, the public auditing of accounts, the things about which well-intentioned professors and officials - that is, those imbued with he good intention of defending and embellishing capitalism - discourse to the public, are of no avail. For private property is sacred, and no one can be prohibited from buying, selling, exchanging or mortgaging shares, etc.
Source: An Economist's Protest: Columns in Political Economy (1966), p. 107
Source: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
La Jornada, México (2 May 2007) http://www.lajornadadeoriente.com.mx/2007/05/02/puebla/s1ret14.php