Capitalism Doesn't Work... So What Would?

Discussion in 'Business & Economics' started by matthew809, Sep 22, 2008.

  1. matthew809 Registered Senior Member

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    Inflation, corruption, the number of poor and homeless, excessive wealth, corporate infiltration into government and vise-versa, the current economic meltdown, etc...

    How much more obvious proof do we need that capitalism does not work before we change the system. Instead of amending and patching up this fundamentally flawed system, making it ever more confusing and complicated, isn't it a better idea to take the best parts of capitalism(ie. incentive for competition and growth) and design a whole new system which takes advantage of what we learned from the past hundred or so years?

    I do believe that capitalism may have been a necessary transitional system. But now we are ready for something better for everyone. We need dramatic change. I'm no expert, but it seems to me that a mix between the best parts of capitalism and communism would be something to consider. If you had a chance to design a society from the ground up, how would it work?
     
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  3. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

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    If I had to design a society from the ground up, economy would be the least of my concerns. Purity first.


    However, I disagree; capitalism is a superb economic system. Primarily, laissez faire, it would work. That being said, I don't support it, but it is a good system.
     
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  5. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    Sorry to have to burst your bubble, but everything you've listed as problems with capitalism are present in every form of system you could devise. History makes that fact glaringly clear!

    So, despite hand-wringing and wishful thinking, there's never been any system that serves the population better than capitalism - even when considering all it's problems.
     
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  7. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

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    What is the problem with socialism? In concept, it sounds very fair and very reasonable, so why is it that it usually doesn't work? "From each according to his ability to each according to his needs" sounds like a good idea.
     
  8. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Capitalism is fine, unregulated capitalism is dangerous.
     
  9. ashura the Old Right Registered Senior Member

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    Bingo.

    A lot of what you, OP, mentioned is thanks to the amount of power we've given to the government. A government backed line of credit to organizations competing against the private sector, lobbyists ready to divide up our cash because Washington has such easy and wonderful access to it along with a belief that it can spend it on anything, a Fed that maintains a policy of easy credit and artificially low interest rates, etc. So with your proposal of giving government even more power vis a vis some mix between capitalism and communism, why would you expect things to get any better?
     
  10. Betrayer0fHope MY COHERENCE! IT'S GOING AWAYY Registered Senior Member

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    As with everything, a mix of things is necessary. Welfare, taxes, health care, education and the redistribution of wealth are all things that increase the usefulness of capitalism. Although, I am completely for a Laissez Fair policy, and am a Libertarian.
     
  11. BlueMoose Guest

    Yeah, it is about us, each of us as an individual, unless we dont change nothing changes.
    Check out nation called Bhutan, they are living like in ancient times and they are happy, they are ruled by a king by a choice, they prefer their own measure of GPD based on very different qualities than rest of the world. Recently they went through discussion should they adopt electricity, local solar panels won over constructed grid because of some species of birds yearly flying route would be dangered. Now they are having issue should they come to democracy, well, that would be end of all that I guess.
     
  12. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

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    Why?
     
  13. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Because theives will steal everyone's money, and it might even be legal.
     
  14. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

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    No, the government would still protect property rights, but that'd be it.
     
  15. pjdude1219 The biscuit has risen Valued Senior Member

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    Regulated or socialistic capitalism does work. Pure hands off laissez-faire capitalism doesn't.
     
  16. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Not if it was your money that was lost. You took the risk in a free market, so you are the one that's screwed. That's what a free market means.
     
  17. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

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    Then that's not stealing. That's just taking a business risk.
     
  18. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    And if the consequences lead to millions of lost jobs and homeless people? Oh well.
     
  19. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

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    Free market. That's how it is.
     
  20. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    The people would insist on the government doing something about it. "That's how it is" won't get you elected.
     
  21. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

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    The people can leave, if they want socialism.


    Fact of the matter is, the free market is an efficient force. If millions become homeless, well, that's a great opportunity for many to capitalize on and prosper from.
     
  22. Xelios We're setting you adrift idiot Registered Senior Member

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    I submit that without regulation a free market will always end up as Corporatism.
     
  23. clusteringflux Version 1. OH! Valued Senior Member

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    The biggest problem facing the USA system is a chance of hyperinflation followed by an all out run from the dollar.
    The fed is afraid to let the market correct itself with a deflationary period. Yeah, it means tough times but it will happen anyway. The sooner the better.

    The longer we wait, the further the fall
     

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