posted on Feb, 14 2016 @ 03:51 AM
a reply to:
onequestion
Most people like what they have and therefore don't want to change. The vast majority of people, including the very poor have access to think that
they only have access to thanks to the very large increase in the amount of goods produced under capitalism. It's not like it's the 1600's anymore
and a person wills another person a pair of pants (the now second pair of pants they'll ever own in their lives) after they die from a lack of quality
food to go around.
There are several arguments against Capitalism but none are based on the idea that it doesn't work. It just doesn't work as well as it could with a
few restrictions. Just about everyone agrees (or at a minimum everyone here agrees... small steps) that unrestrained free trade is harmful. Workers
in developed nations can't compete with workers in undeveloped nations where they can be paid much less. This is an example of an unregulated free
market in action. Furthermore, we have seen that all unregulated free markets destroy themselves, because eventually some market force gains enough
power that it can change the rules.
Therefore, from this premise we wind up at the fact that free trade doesn't work, and free markets don't work. Some level of regulation is a
necessity in order for capitalism to function. The amount of regulation is an open question but it must be there, which means that pure capitalism is
a mythical concept that cannot actually be implemented.
Remember back in the 1700's when the Church issued edicts on everyone being paid a fair wage, and ensured they had enough to live on? It's actually
pretty interesting just how far back fair wage laws go, they didn't start with the US adoption of a minimum wage in 1913.
I don't understand why so many people want to move away from such a thing other than a need to reaffirm they made better economic choices than some
others did.