Why Capitalism isn't Working

reply to post by ollncasino


Too bad that based their film on corporatism and called it capitalism.
We haven't seen true capitalism in decades. It's the difference between why I am struggling to start a business and my grandfather owned 4 or 5 successful ones and is set up throughout his old age. I don't begrudge him that, but now individuals are up against a machine. This isn't capitalism.

I think part of the problem is that "they" have us chasing wealth rather than meaning. It is "their game" when we do that, and we lose as soon as we begin playing.

Rather, we should be chasing meaning, having lives instead of careers, families instead of co-workers, living in the moment while planning judiciously and carefully for the future (storing away the summers excess for the winters need) and learning to live in a connected web of humanity rather than continuing to believe their lies of scarcity and fear and hate.

We are each other's greatest benefit and not each others greatest enemies, if only we would stop playing "their" game.

We will never have "equality" until we redefine it away from the realm of the manipulators, deceivers, and killers and into the hands of the creators, the co-operators, and the healers.

If this sounds like hippy, communist bull#, and you believe instead that you should store up as much as you can hoard and then build fences and walls and carry guns to protect what you have hoarded, then we will have to wait for you to come around or to expire for the world to get better.

No one can make anyone else change.

I think we will eventually get past notions of good and evil and see that all is connected, that all is in all. I think that, but I also think it's gonna be a really long time.

Originally posted by METACOMET
There is no country or market in the world that practices capitalism. All economies are centrally planned and regulated.

Blaming an economic model that doesn't even exist in practice? Good luck with that.

Agreed! I used to think this way but eventually came to realize that capitalism is about free trade but in truth
the business practices of the world are anything but free! We are restricted by unjust laws and bureaucratic BS
which promote those businesses which have the most control in political bureaucracy! These practices have been put in place to prevent a changing of the status quo. When a very large bank or business fails it can be reserected through government manipulation and there will be claims made, that we have to save these industries in order to save the economy! The truth is jobs come through demand and not through the stability of a bank or a corporation! Unless of coarse all these TBTF banks are all tied togeather as we find they are today! Same is true of the nations of our world! They have now become interdependant on the stability of each nation and so if one fails they will all eventually tumble like domino's knocking over each other!
Because of these practices there is little to no competition! We are also inclined to help those particular businesses which pander to those political circles which suit their needs! A sort of reafirming circle of support for each other as one would say! As each of these institutions grows, so the other must for this support to continue! This leads to an ever increase in centralized industry as well as political power! I realize I have simplifyed these practices but also believe that what I say is pretty accurate!
For us to fix this travisty of inequality we must spread the power of both so that all have a say in how our country is run both politically and industrially! Though this seems to be more along the lines of a socialist democratic system and so maybe it's time for this type of system but whatever the case may be, it needs to be a choice decided by us all! I don't know if most realize that we are certainly on the wrong track now and change needs to happen a hell of alot faster and in a more fair direction then what we see now!
I realize these are very complex issues but they need to be expedited ASAP and with a fervor we have not seen since world war two because the world we are now living in is just as dangerous if not more then a world at war!

Originally posted by Skyfloating
I buy a table off of you because you dont want the table, you prefer cash. I buy it off of you for $50. You are happy and richer. I go sell it to someone who really wants that table for $100. He is happy, his life is enriched. I made a profit of $50. I am happy and richer. I donate $10 of that to charity. They are happy. I invest $50 into another table, more are happy. I employ a table-maker for $40, he is happy and richer because he got a job. Capitalism benefits all involved. As I get richer others get richer. By one single table-transaction many are served.

But you are actually doing something.
The 1% doesn't do much of anything except scheme and plot ways to exploit us further.

I 'almost' wish money would become worthless and we had to resort to barter and trade and the courts would be non existant or a neighborhood jury of true peers and equals.

The you would see who is really essential to society. Here is a hint- its not government workers, or make work managers, the CEOs that hop from one company to another to congress and back again.

Capitalism, or at any rate, state regulated capitalism, naturally tends towards polarisation of wealth.

Viz. the rich get richer (and fewer in number), the poor get poorer (and greater in number).

I don't know what the best way to run an economy is, but this isn't it.

Originally posted by g146541
reply to post by ollncasino

 

Capitalism is not working simply because it has not had a chance to for a very long time.
Early on in the republic we did not allow "corporations" other than for a small term run, now they are forever.
This must change or someday they will be deemed "too big to fail"...oops, see what happened???
Now there can be no capitalism as "croney capitalists" aka socialists rule the market.
This is exactly why capitalism cannot work, the socialists choked it to death a long time ago.

Socialists SAVED Capitalism, they didn't choke it to death. Those same "too big to fail" corporations, without bailout money that they got from the Government, WOULD have failed in 2008 had the laws of capitalism been applied.

Capitalism is okay for the rich as long as everything's working hunky dory, as soon as things start going belly up, those same Capitalists go running to the only place they can for help - the Federal Government.

reply to post by babybunnies


That's exactly why it is corporatism and not true capitalism.

reply to post by Skyfloating



1. Capitalism postulates that others will see your profit and enter the table selling market, thus driving down profit and prices.
2. You dont want this to happen because you want more money.
3. As a rational animal, your response to this dilemma is to prevent anyone else entering the market by either buying all the tables, or dropping your prices and living off reserves until any new entrants go bust (or spending vast amounts on advertising).
4. Ultimately, if anyone wants a table they have to buy and sell through you-theres no real competition (Google contact lenses, spectacles and Luxottica for details).
Finally, the sum total of your efforts is to take money out of circulation without creating anything, but even in your explanation, you expect to receive half the value of the table simply for arranging the sale-now thats capitalism!

reply to post by lawman27


That's only focusing on the negative. That is a pessimists view of capitalism. The other effect is that you guarantee your product and make sure it is of a higher quality so that you retain your customers and are able to maintain a higher price than the competition based solely on quality and service.

There are good and bad things about capitalism, but true capitalism is a great thing and everyone is capable of succeeding in it.

I don't think the problem is capitalism, I think it's fractional reserve banking and fiat currency.

If a US Dollar was composed of silver, then a person could work, save money, and then live off their savings. The way things are now, every dollar you earn today will be worth less tomorrow. If you try to save for the future, inflation will eat your savings, so people are forced to gamble their money in a rigged stock market, just to try to keep up with inflation. I think capitalism would work a lot better with a currency backed by gold or silver.

Originally posted by Skyfloating

Originally posted by Adaluncatif

Capitalism doesn't work. In order for someone to get richer, someone else has to get poorer. It's common sense. It's math.

I buy a table off of you because you dont want the table, you prefer cash. I buy it off of you for $50. You are happy and richer. I go sell it to someone who really wants that table for $100. He is happy, his life is enriched. I made a profit of $50. I am happy and richer. I donate $10 of that to charity. They are happy. I invest $50 into another table, more are happy. I employ a table-maker for $40, he is happy and richer because he got a job. Capitalism benefits all involved. As I get richer others get richer. By one single table-transaction many are served.

edit on 4-2-2013 by Skyfloating because: (no reason given)

you forgot to pay taxes

Originally posted by babybunnies

Originally posted by g146541
reply to post by ollncasino

 

Capitalism is not working simply because it has not had a chance to for a very long time.
Early on in the republic we did not allow "corporations" other than for a small term run, now they are forever.
This must change or someday they will be deemed "too big to fail"...oops, see what happened???
Now there can be no capitalism as "croney capitalists" aka socialists rule the market.
This is exactly why capitalism cannot work, the socialists choked it to death a long time ago.

Socialists SAVED Capitalism, they didn't choke it to death. Those same "too big to fail" corporations, without bailout money that they got from the Government, WOULD have failed in 2008 had the laws of capitalism been applied.

Capitalism is okay for the rich as long as everything's working hunky dory, as soon as things start going belly up, those same Capitalists go running to the only place they can for help - the Federal Government.

Did you read what you just read before you put it down???
If these "capitalist" organizations had followed capitalism, they would have died off and the vacuum would have been filled with a working model.
If the vacuum was not filled, then it would be proof that the idea was useless and fruitless!
Socialists did not save capitalism, they have simply converted it.