Problems with Capitalism

[buddhist]

I'm a free market capitalist, but it is my opinion that its major achilles heel is it's unholy union with corporatism. The free market isn't free when the power of the state is used to enforce recognition of corporations as artificial persons.

Do you have any (other?) problems with capitalism?

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

I'm a free market capitalist, but it is my opinion that its major achilles heel is it's unholy union with corporatism. The free market isn't free when the power of the state is used to enforce recognition of corporations as artificial persons.

Do you have any (other?) problems with capitalism?

The fact that monetary value to is assigned to everything and thus perpetuates a culture where we come to believe some people are more deserving of housing, food & warmth because they have a longer string of digits associated with their name.

 

[Super Universe]

Pure socialism rewards the lazy and untalented and punishes, to some degree, the best workers and genius. Capitalism rewards hard workers and genius inventors but it also, unfortunately, rewards the immoral and selfish.

Only the rich think that greed is good.

 

[BSM1]

Pure socialism rewards the lazy and untalented and punishes, to some degree, the best workers and genius. Capitalism rewards hard workers and genius inventors but it also, unfortunately, rewards the immoral and selfish.

Only the rich think that greed is good.

Define greed.

 

[suncowiam]

I'm a capitalist too but if its left unchecked I believe corporations will prioritize their bottom line above other ethical areas like environment and human health.

I believe in a need for regulation and control. It's all subjective really so even I can't define a line without further data. Leaving corporations unchecked can be dangerous.

China is a good example of this. They needed to boost their economy and have enacted policies to do so. However, it shows in their environment and even the health of their citizens.

 

[Valjean]

Capitalism's zero sum. You win when others loose.
Capitalism is anti-social. Profit is the prime directive, not society or your workers.
Capitalism tends to reward the accumulation of unneeded wealth, even when others are in need.
Capitalism devalues those unable to contribute, even when through no fault of their own.
Capitalism rewards exploitation.

Pure socialism rewards the lazy and untalented and punishes, to some degree, the best workers and genius. Capitalism rewards hard workers and genius inventors but it also, unfortunately, rewards the immoral and selfish.
Only the rich think that greed is good.

This sounds like a poorly designed system, with no incentives and with no penalties for laziness. A co-op need not be a completely unregulated, anything goes, free-for-all.

 

[Super Universe]

Capitalism's zero sum. You win when others loose.
Capitalism is anti-social. Profit is the prime directive, not society or your workers.
Capitalism tends to reward the accumulation of unneeded wealth, even when others are in need.
Capitalism devalues those unable to contribute, even when through no fault of their own.
Capitalism rewards exploitation.

This sounds like a poorly designed system, with no incentives and with no penalties for laziness. A co-op need not be a completely unregulated, anything goes, free-for-all.

In Capitalism you win and others win as well. It's not always about bankrupting others. Europe and the US are based on capitalism and most people are rich.

Capitalism is anti-social? Not true at all. Name one business that doesn't have to interact with customers?

Capitalism tends to reward the accumulation of unneeded wealth? Yes.

Capitalism devalues those who are unable to contribute? So do others.

Capitalism rewards exploitation? Yes, it does.

 

[Valjean]

In Capitalism you win and others win as well. It's not always about bankrupting others. Europe and the US are based on capitalism and most people are rich.

Due to the exploitation of South and Central American, African and Asian countries.
Some win, but some always loose.

Capitalism is anti-social? Not true at all. Name one business that doesn't have to interact with customers?

Compare the percentage of profits shared with workers today vs 1960s.

Capitalism tends to reward the accumulation of unneeded wealth? Yes.

Capitalism devalues those who are unable to contribute? So do others.

Capitalism rewards exploitation? Yes, it does.[/QUOTE]

 

[Super Universe]

Define greed.

An insatiable desire for wealth, status, and power.

 

[Super Universe]

Due to the exploitation of South and Central American, African and Asian countries.
Some win, but some always loose.

Compare the percentage of profits shared with workers today vs 1960s.

Capitalism tends to reward the accumulation of unneeded wealth? Yes.

Capitalism devalues those who are unable to contribute? So do others.

Capitalism rewards exploitation? Yes, it does.

Exploitation of South, Central American, African, and Asian countries? Uhh, how so?

Compare the percentage of profits shared with workers today vs the 60's? I'd say it's about the same percentage but as companies make more so do the workers. The percentage might be the same but more money for a company is still more for the workers and share owners.

In Capitalism winning doesn't always mean others lose, sometimes it does but not always. If it did then the super successful would hoard money and most of the people in the US and Europe would be dirt poor. That's the way things used to be in Europe.

 

[Lyndon]

In Capitalism you win and others win as well. It's not always about bankrupting others. Europe and the US are based on capitalism and most people are rich.

Capitalism is anti-social? Not true at all. Name one business that doesn't have to interact with customers?

Capitalism tends to reward the accumulation of unneeded wealth? Yes.

Capitalism devalues those who are unable to contribute? So do others.

Capitalism rewards exploitation? Yes, it does.

Most people are rich, what a joke, try living in the real world!!

 

[Super Universe]

Most people are rich, what a joke, try living in the real world!!

Most people in Europe and the US are rich. You're just comparing yourself to the super rich instead of comparing yourself to the rest of the world where people earn much less and get little education. Try getting out and visiting a few third world countries a bit.

 

[Lyndon]

Most people in Europe and the US are rich. You're just comparing yourself to the super rich instead of comparing yourself to the rest of the world where people earn much less and get little education. Try getting out and visiting a few third world countries a bit.

Stupid, stupid argument, people in America and Europe are not paying third world prices for anything, most people are poor and middle class not rich, rich only account for about 10% of the population.

 

[Super Universe]

I think there's a relationship between the two. It's called multinational corporation exploitation. We're all 'rich' because of that, not because we have some sort of better system. The planet is totally interrelated economically. Just pick any random rich capitalist, and search on his/her portfolio. That t-shirt you bought today was most likely made by cheap labour in some foreign third world country.

Believe it or not everything that happens in other countries is not the fault of the US. There have been people in the rest of the world longer than in the US. American's work harder than anyone else. We created our wealth, the first Europeans that came to the US didn't steal gold from Great Britain.

There are good things about capitalism and there are bad things about it. But, overall, I think it is a better system because it rewards creativity while socialism stifles it.

Now, I do think that coorporations go too far and pay their CEO's way, way, way too much but I don't make the rules.

The t-shirts I own are made by cheap labor in some foreign country? Of course they are. What's wrong with that? Are you suggesting we shouldn't provide them with jobs? I don't know anyone forcing the Chinese to move to the cities and sit at sewing machines all day long. They can stay in the country and work their fields if they want.

You think American's never worked hard, all the cities and infrastructure and economy just built themselves?

 

[Super Universe]

Stupid, stupid argument, people in America and Europe are not paying third world prices for anything, most people are poor and middle class not rich, rich only account for about 10% of the population.

People in the US and Europe are not paying third world prices for anything? What price are we paying then?

Most people are poor? Most people in Uganda are poor. Most people in Europe and the US are not.

The middle class is not rich? Oh, they have computers and electricity and vehicles and big screen tv's.

The rich are only 10% of the population? You're idea of being rich is having a yacht. My idea of rich is never having to worry about going to bed hungry and having a closet full of clothes.

 

[Super Universe]

Never said that, nor the last bit. Lots of people have worked hard. As for the cheap labour, China isn't the main culprit any more.

The 10 worst countries for child labor - CNN.com

Your name is similar to Valjean. I thought that's who I was debating. Valjean posted that the US has profited off of the "exploitation of South and Central American, African and Asian countries".

 

[Super Universe]

That's because the labor of undeveloped countries develops the first world rather than their own countries.
Capitalism is a global system, not one which exists in countries independently.

Name the third world country that developed the US railroad system.

Name the third world country that developed the US oil infrastructure.

Name the third world country that developed American automobiles and American assembly line manufacturing.

Name the third world country that built all of our bridges and dams.

Name the third world country that built the US electrical grid.

Name the third world country that built the US schools, banks, houses, shopping malls, internet, computers, computer programs, prints our dollar and coins, I could go on and on and on.

 

[Super Universe]

I agree with Valjean. The other people who have benefitted are the very rich in these countries, as they just co-operated with foreign investors to rip off the locals.

You're going to have to be more specific, how exactly has the US exploited South and Central American, African and Asian countries?

We get our oil from our own sources except for about 10% from OPEC. So, we're somehow ripping off Venezuela because we're not paying enough for their oil?

And we get coffee beans from South America, are you saying we shouldn't buy their coffee beans?

 

[BSM1]

An insatiable desire for wealth, status, and power.

Nebulous at best. Can you be more specific?

 

[siti]

In Capitalism you win and others win as well. It's not always about bankrupting others. Europe and the US are based on capitalism and most people are rich.

Most people...damn - when did this happen - I must have left too early!