What is Capitalism
- Thread starter Luxman
- Start date
It's a form of government. I think is the most direct answer, the ideology differs from dictator/ruler etc. Much like campaigns and terms of presidency here. But there is definite underlying factors that would deem it capitalist vs socialist for example. Which would be another form of government. And this my friends is what separates all the other countries that are comparable to our States in size all over the world. The different day to day method of operations within the structure of the gov.
The topic of discussion was the balance between socialism and capitalism. I said the US and most Western democracies were closer to the right balance 70 years ago. You launched directly to African Americans living in the south. Do you think one of the major causes of stress for African Americans living in the south in 1951 was the balance between the socialistic and capitalistic tendencies of the US economy at the time? Or were you just attempting to claim some unassailable high ground, with no thought to whether it had any relevance to the conversation?
The term "The Great Prosperity" refers to the period of 1947-1979 when many countries (especially the United States) saw their private work forces enjoy an unprecedented increase in their standards of living.
Wages and overall compensation steadily trended higher between the years of 1947 and 1979. Homes were built throughout the country, goods and services were bought at an increasing pace and the stock markets steadily trended higher as the nightmare of the "Great Depression" and World War II moved further and further away in the rearview mirror.
Economic gains in the country were more evenly distributed than they are in current times due to the fact that wages and overall compensation for the private sector work force grew so fast.
The "Great Prosperity" is thought to have ended in the late '70s, but some economists believe that it ended during the 1973 oil crisis.
gmase
Nattering Nabob of Negativism
I'm not certain. If one considers the expansion of medicare and medicaid, and the rest of the 'Great Society' programs in the mid-60s, I would suggest the capitalism of 1950 was much behind the modern version.
As you note elsewhere, the removal of constraints (i.e., lower taxes, reduced regulation, et al.) has removed the upper boundaries.
Cut the bullshit self-congratulation. All I could see was a straw man argument that had nothing to do with the conversation. So please enlighten me, what was your point, and how did I prove it?
What's your standard of "socialism"? If we go by what most Americans think socialism is rather than the super duper looper mega literal technical definition of the term, and we go by how it treats the middle of the pack and poor people as apposed to the countries' upper echelon when it comes to things like health, wages, education, and a social safety nets...
(Lets be honest a crap ton of people that like to say all those European countries are really just capitalistic ones are also usually the ones that will bitch about us moving towards socialism or communism when we move to be even a little bit more like them. It can't be both ways For all practical purposes Americans consider them socialistic The average person out there and definitely the overwhelming majority of Republican don't give a crap about what some political science textbook somewhere says even if it's technically true. On a practical level this is how the US views the issue and views that word.)
...Then in no particular order: The UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Canada, New Zealand, Croatia, Austria, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Israel, Taiwan. That's what, almost 30 of them just off the top of my head. I'm sure I'm forgetting a handful as I didn't want to pull up a world map just to search out more. Hell, even a lot of the ones a little lower than the US probably still kick our asses in some of the metrics that matter to most of the people living here.
Keep in mind with the sole exception of Switzerland the US has more wealth per capita than any of those places, so that also can't be used as an excuse of why places like the Nordic countries do better than us. All those places above, it's not their monolithic culture or ethnicity. It's not their small size or population. It's not their oil wealth or tech industries. It's just that they generally give a damn about the lives of the people within their countries. We don't, and we could do even better than them if we wanted to as we have more resources.
I'm not a fan of Cuba for many reasons. If one wants to despise it's leadership I won't fault them as it's deserved, but I could also point out that the analogy above is intellectually dishonest as it totally lacks context of the circumstances around it. Cuba pissed off one of the world's only superpowers and one that was very close to it. Of course when the US engaged in economic warfare against it it was going to come to to that outcome no matter what. Lets not pretend Cuba ended up in it's economic situation organically without extreme outside influence making it so.
Last edited:
gmase
Nattering Nabob of Negativism
Not the Republican definition of socialism. Government ownership of industry would be a reasonable place to start. Examples: the armed forces would own arms suppliers; the Fed would own the banks; the FCC would own the media.
I would suggest none of the countries you listed are socialist. They have a similar hybird model as the US or skew a bit more in the socialist direction. I would think China, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, etc. Other capitalistic countries do have a better standard of living than the US (the US seems to be in the mid-teens when I see rankings) which is why I used 'socialist'.
You are correct here. Providing healthcare should not be a tough decision.
Fucking weak. Guess you can take the dipshit out of the republican party, but you can't take the republican party out of the dipshit.
Luxman
#TRE45ON
Stop fighting!!!
The near center conservative and liberal beliefs have more in common than differences.
Our enemies are the far-right trumptard nazi republicans and the far-left PC commies!!!
Now look at some nice boobies to relax and be happy.
If photos of nice boobies were posted everywhere, there would be less crimes, less riots, less wars, and the world would be better.
The near center conservative and liberal beliefs have more in common than differences.
Our enemies are the far-right trumptard nazi republicans and the far-left PC commies!!!
Now look at some nice boobies to relax and be happy.
If photos of nice boobies were posted everywhere, there would be less crimes, less riots, less wars, and the world would be better.
Last edited:
Theopolis Q. Hossenffer
I am in America, not of it.
Well looks like the Trumpista plan of divide and conquer is working quite well. There are only about 5 or 6 of us left here and already starting to devolve. Add apathy(which I am beginning to start) and the end will be near. Oh and I would be careful with the nude posts as when the Born agains take over, that will be contraband and as you know sexual activity will be for procreation only.
The end has been near for a while around here. Most of the posters I respected and enjoyed are long gone, and now that the magats are all in hiding we're just shouting into the wind.
I won't accept bullshit straw man arguments and baseless, self-proclaimed victories from anyone, regardless of how closely aligned their positions are with my own.
I won't accept bullshit straw man arguments and baseless, self-proclaimed victories from anyone, regardless of how closely aligned their positions are with my own.
gmase
Nattering Nabob of Negativism
Big Med can never have enough cash. If they can't get you one way, they develop new ways to screw patients:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health...r-up-why-did-her-treatment-cost-10-times-more
"Facility fees are designed by hospitals in particular to grab more revenue from the weakest party in health care: namely, the individual patient"
https://www.npr.org/sections/health...r-up-why-did-her-treatment-cost-10-times-more
"Facility fees are designed by hospitals in particular to grab more revenue from the weakest party in health care: namely, the individual patient"
gmase
Nattering Nabob of Negativism
I edited my portion of the thread which seems to have been deemed inflammatory. 🤷♂️
Sorry to have offended. ❄️
