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Re:Accidentally Stopping a Global Cyber Attack by mowenz on Tuesday May 16, 2017 @01:15AM (#14347524)
The definition of a business is an entity which provides goods/services to consumers.

The typical moral distinction b/w a business and other entities which make[1] money is a business (presumably) does it within the constraint of their counterparties enjoying the liberty of choice. This becomes a grey area when government enters the picture and removes liberties--which is why there is debate about the legitimate role of government's monopoly on legitimate violence/aggression here.

1 - note, a further distinction could be made between entities which create value, and those which transfer it.

Re:Accidentally Stopping a Global Cyber Attack by beaconstudios on Wednesday May 17, 2017 @12:43PM (#14360190)
> The definition of a business is an entity which provides goods/services to consumers.

That's not true. A business is a vehicle for making money, that's it. Most businesses do this by providing goods or services, but certainly not all - for example, financial traders that only manage their own funds, like the Renaissance Medallion fund.

Re:Accidentally Stopping a Global Cyber Attack by mowenz on Wednesday May 17, 2017 @09:05PM (#14364136)
Financial traders are still buying and selling goods and services with a counterparty.

Even here, we still can observe that in most cases (except those where government interferes, or perhaps with organized crime) the counterparty is also enjoying a choice in whether or not they want to do the deal. I would argue that in cases where a counterparty has no choice, such a scheme should not be viewed as a legitimate busines, as it historically would not be.

Re:Accidentally Stopping a Global Cyber Attack by beaconstudios on Thursday May 18, 2017 @06:58AM (#14366217)
that's basically the root argument of libertarianism - that forced transactions are unethical and thus taxation is theft.

I'd still argue that a business does not have to provide a good or service to be considered a business though. The Medallion Fund that I mentioned solely exists to make money for its owners - it does not provide any goods or services.