capitalism

  • Started 16 years ago
  • Last post 8 days ago
  • 1,414 Responses
  • PhanLo0

  • yuekit0

    This is an interesting rundown of the Scandinavian tax system and how it differs from the U.S. People talk about the benefits, but they always ignore the revenue side.

    https://taxfoundation.org/how-sc…

    The key distinction is not necessarily that tax rates are so much higher but they are a lot more evenly distributed. Meaning that not just the rich are taxed at significant levels, but so is everyone.

    And of course in exchange for that you get a lot of benefits -- so it's arguably a win win overall.

    My question is could you ever really get Americans to agree to this.

    • I'd guess not enough. Maybe if you could flick a switch and have instant Scandinavian-level public services and infrastructure.Fax_Benson
    • we are also comparing a population of 330M to 21M.HijoDMaite
    • too many americans don't want that kind of coverage, and prefer to slowly kill themselves and pray to jeebus that their afflictions will go awaymonospaced
    • People in the US are suckers and used to falling for "free upgrades", so yeah, they would never comprehend "value".formed
    • Plus, half the country believes "socialism" is the devil, but a dictatorship is "ok".formed
    • A nation of Selfish Suckersformed
    • Hijo makes a good point. The USA is too big to get a consensus on anything. It's like getting the entire EU to agree on a universal system.monospaced
    • The last presidential election made this painfully obvious. Near big cities, people are rational and in favor of social reform. Elsewhere, not so much.monospaced
  • sted0

  • utopian-1

    • ..and money drives innovation. it built your house, your computer, your internet, and your youtube player. and money fuels this documentary.hotroddy
    • Either you live primitive or you are contributing to the industrial empire. No if's or but's about it.
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  • yuekit0

    • Eating cat shit; the new viral sensation sweeping the internet.bulletfactory
    • Expecting a youtube video on how to get rich that show the presenter rubbing themselves in cat poop.shapesalad
    • full circle full circle full circlecolin_s
    • Cat shit crazyjmckinno
    • Sufficient to get a catdrgs
  • colin_s0

    also fuck capitalists

    • Why is socialism so great?Morning_star
    • It isn't perfect but it's better because ideally it helps everyone more than creates a culture of greed that snowballs into Donald Trump as presidentcolin_s
    • Personally I'm an anarchist but I get that's an untenable solution for our current state of affairs, yet to promote individualism in this day and age ...colin_s
    • ... is fucking insane. With the internet, automation and a bit of common sense, the world could be cared for in a non-destructive waycolin_s
    • Yet fuckers will always fall to greed because we're fucking idiot human pieces of meat with barely a lick of common sense and so capitalismcolin_s
    • Why is promoting individualism insane?Morning_star
    • Earpitalism you are driuing me arazyei_monk
    • @m_s because there are 9 billion people in this world and a half decent, rational and conscious species would not starve its own majoritycolin_s
  • Gnash0

    • Don't let the dumb Muricans know about this.

      #MAGA
      utopian
    • #resistance is feudalGnash
    • #SerfdomUSAFax_Benson
    • plus they didn't drink tasteless water, but they drank Ale all day! even the kids!shapesalad
    • At least the president can't declare Prima Nocte... or can he?zarkonite
  • i_monk2

    • Dystopian daymare.PhanLo
    • no because one step closer to barcoding you.hotroddy
    • barcoding is what they do in venezuela to enslave youhotroddy
    • BBC is what they do to brainwash youMilan
    • that's a message from a viewer rather than a serious suggestion from BBC, no?Fax_Benson
  • utopian1

    God Bless American Greed

    As California firefighters battled the state's largest wildfire, Verizon throttled their data.

    A Northern California fire department says Verizon slowed its wireless data speeds to a crawl last month, rendering some of its high-tech tracking equipment almost useless as firefighters battled the largest wildfire in state history.

    https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/22…

    FUCK YOU Verizon and Corporate America

    • what was the cost of a better plan vs overtime pay? or even the difference of what they paid. Sensational article for knee jerk response.
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    • a bit of a joke really in objectivity. But i will say it was poor decision by an employee based on PR reasons to stand by policy. but not there job
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    • i do wonder how much funding goes to playstations and what not vs better data plan. or even building stations. This one station by a hiking trail near
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    • me I'd probably peg in the vicinty of a couple million for about 3k sq ft. beautiful station and great architecture, but at what cost to whom
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    • Jesus, was that 4 posts blaming the fire dept?? This country is truly doomed.formed
  • ********
    3

    Capitalism has its merits and historical success. The same can be said for socialism. I understand binary fanaticism as a rallying cry but I feel, like most things in life, striking a sensible balance between the two ideologies seems to be the way to go.

    New York has many social welfare and housing programs that tremendously help it's citizens. Without them the city would be a war zone.

    Strike a balance that works. Obama was a spark but what the usa needs is to socialize college education (not only to prepare for the job market but for quality of community) and revisit our health care situation. Many hospitals in the usa are a disaster and need funding. I will always recommend a private hospital like Baptist over the Jackson health system in South Florida.

    Capitalism has become as top-heavy as the Golden State Warriors. If the people truly want to change the status quo, it's time to look at what Canada is doing an maybe borrow some ideas. Copying features worked for the Samsung Galaxy and Microsoft Windows and it needs to be applied to government in an evolutionary and competitive manner.

    • socialism is only as good as it's people. and canadians are better people.hotroddy
    • USA is more like venezuela, where people are low skilled, and are quite happy to take a piece of the pie without contributing to systemhotroddy
    • Canada, like all northern socialist countries are hard working people. USA has one foot in the tropics.hotroddy
    • But don't worry.. one day we'll get tropical socialism. It's right around the corner once millennials start voting.hotroddy
    • socialize edu happened as soon as gov guaranteed loans. banks sold u college as something special after that. Stupid if u fall for it.
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    • college has nothing on a almost no pay internship. period. kids get 80k in debt to be an intern. ridiculous.
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    • as far as socialism merits im curious? where are those to be seen? u see a small solution to a symptom w/ subsidization and say yay
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    • but what really inflates cost of housing? to understand this is an entirely different beast.Monetary policy is a big player. Which is not free market
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  • Ianbolton0

    Skimmed through this, but it seemed relative enough to go here.

    (How) Capitalism is a Product of Socialism

    https://eand.co/capitalism-is-a-…

    Remember though, not everything's political yeah?

    • Isn't capitalism a product of protestantism?
      Work hard and be rewarded.
      PhanLo
    • I think the author has a really good point on a basic level (capitalism is a system created by government) but then he took it in an overly moralisticyuekit
    • direction.yuekit
    • +1
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  • T-Dawg1

    I found this video interesting, an economics professor (Dr Richard Wolff of Univ. of Massachussets), explaining some of the problems of capitalism.

    Here's a part that's pretty relevant with current events:

    The whole interview is good if you've got the time, and he explains ideas in a very understandable way. I'm not a fan of the intro graphics and music, but ah well.

    • Woops, the relevant part is at 9:27 (still a noob at posting videos, even after 14 yrs :)T-Dawg
    • Nice info. Thanks.bezoar
    • Except marxism has never created a better society. Ever. In fact marxism has created mass murder on a scale that is un seen in human history.Hayoth
    • Your comment makes me suspect you didn't even watch the video. I also suspect you're confusing marxism with authoritarianism.T-Dawg
  • i_monk0

    • who made the software?Hayoth
    • who made the hardwarehotroddy
    • China of courseutopian
    • the designer who made sign is a 'socialist' and spites walmart all the while collecting a paycheck.hotroddy
  • utopian5

    Gawd Bless Murikkka, Numba 1

    #MAGA Lives here

    • Trickle down economics. Everyone benefits no?PhanLo
    • If only these people could choose to seek better paid positions in other companies.Morning_star
    • @Morning_star why not just pay people properly? It's a sick society that thinks it's ok.PhanLo
    • @PhanLo They seem to be paying their exec board quite well. I also know someone who works in Marketing for Disneyland Paris and they get awesome salary and...Morning_star
    • ...benefits. I expect that there is a queue of people waiting for jobs there, at every level. It's market driven. As soon as they find a lack of people...Morning_star
    • ...wanting to work for them then the market will drive up the salaries. SimplesMorning_star
    • The markets got us here.PhanLo
    • Where?Morning_star
  • Projectile0

  • ********
    4

  • utopian0

    • Just let the markets decide, it's fine https://www.youtube.…PhanLo
    • ^ heartbreaking, mateOBBTKN
    • How can the society as a whole not see how much of mess it's becoming?PhanLo
    • Apathy. People just don't care. As long as the suffering doesn't impact their social media feeds or bother them on the way to work everything is just super.Morning_star
    • That woman working 16-20hrs a day and sleeping upright/ sitting in a small car. Just sad. Respect to her though.NBQ00
    • Inequality has really widen over the past 20 years.shapesalad
    • This is the future we all dreamed of.PhanLo
    • I wonder is AirBnB could capitalise on this somehow and start renting cars out in empty parking lots over night?PhanLo
  • utopian1

    Amazon is raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour — here's how much CEO Jeff Bezos makes in those same 60 minutes.

    https://www.businessinsider.com/…

    • This is not fair. Just absolutely not fair. And we, how much do we make an hour?NBQ00
    • Does this mean Bezos could pay the full $15/hr for 50000 employees and still walk away with 3.75 Milion?colab
    • Better get ready for the rush of customers at the yacht store.colab
    • well... it's value, but it's not liquid. it's not in the bank. it's mostly stock value. a market crash and those hourly rates won't be realised as cash in hand.shapesalad
  • ********
    -3

    I've been thinking about this and I have a liberal buddy who is all about the free edu and healthcare and other socialist democracy of free shit in other countries.

    It's not that we differ in end goals. As far as edu and healthcare he prefer it to be free, but would accept it at reasonable rates. We laugh at well I want free pizza too, and beer if possible and I think he understands it's not a "right" but understands it also doesnt make economic sense. But I think he's only looking at price and saying shit that's not right, but not really aware of market forces and reasons to turn it around, and as such jumping on any bandwagon possible that tries to simplify it in an easy term like david vs goliath. Like big pharma instead of patent rules and FDA approvals and even shit like the doctor guilds and education boundaries that allow practitioners to practice at lower costs. Licensing is a bitch and many other countries that offer cheaper solutions dont have the hurdles.

    At the same time we both also have different value structures. He is willingly ready to give liberty for security, where as i will forego security for liberty. And this value structure is huge in the debate and where people stand. Knowingly live comfortable or at the whims of others, or risk pursuing your own end goals without obstruction. Not being taxed on success and enjoying rewards for living outside comfort zones. I cant stand being under soem unknown thumb. Probably genetics where as others love it. Survival instincts. You're weak you love to be supported (sounds like an insult I know but it is biology..even times i pleasure in someone else doing the lifting.) Strong you have no desire for support.

    And this is the major differecne between collectivism/tribalism/socialism... ism's vs individualism. Capitalism in its purest form supports individualism. It offers a free bartering of ones work for another in cohabituation. That labors and energy exchanged are in the form of a transferable currency. And this can be exchanged freely by everyone in the most direct democratic system possible. More direct than 2-4 yr elections and appointees. Capitalism is the most effective true direct democracy. Every dollar every day is a vote.

    The only people threatened by capitalism (by my definition at least, words are weird and can have different meanings too or emo triggers like nigger and cunt although just words) are people trying to retain power with nothing to offer. They're threatened by competition. They try to game the system for themselves. Which is another human trait. Self preservation and its strong in the weak and the cowards. Is it wrong? Beats me, it seems to win the most of the time, although it never seems to benefit the majority of ppl. Hell if i was desparate I'd probably run for public office too. Which is a problem. Same with cop problems. How do you incentivize people to run for office or even cops that are not power hugnry cowards. So few run on personal principles. You see it in all the ads about the flip flops when it comes to their jobs which is all they care about. I can probably only call a few principles of the hundrends and stil they sometiems wonder well shit do i want to please people and be relected or go unemployed. And these spineless people love campaign money from people scared of real competition. Hence crony capitalism. Cowards feeding cowards.

    Which if you are familair with thermodynamics i think is the cancer in the system. The epitome of a healthy system is one that needs less laws and is free. The systematic downfall and failures in society trigger a individualist system into a more cancerous collectivist system. The more it relies on gov and regulations the more it goes into its death cycle. You can fight entrophy in systems but it does take energy. However energy directed in a path against the least resistance. I'm pretty sure despite the obvious info we will not deviate or fight the entrophy and provide physics a perfect example of cognizant people eaware of world still falling to the death and rebirth cycle of entrophy.

    But to summarize the rambling I HOPE people see end goals are no different. And they question purely their own selfish motives. One of liberty or security. Even maybe accept they might be a coward in choosing security. Nothing wrong, its biological, but not feeling bad and making excuses about it. But own it. Say I want to have an abstract rule over others for my security. The early planations in US disavowed slavery due to security. It did help the US ( not as much as central banking) but most of slavery was economic and not race base. It was collectivist nature and protectionism that enabled slavery vs free market enterprise. The paralells of of self service in the name of a "greater good" always seems to know no bounds. Especially when helping the preacher. But again rambling...

    I'll end with a reagan quote

    which I think goes back to Michel de Montaigne 'I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly.'

    • and any person who thinks socialistic programs have no cost. read road to serfdom by hayek. there are welfare states that are a mix of free markets and benefits
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    • but always a matter or time. central planning creates economic bubbles which will create some funny dictatorships. even the scandinavien countries feeling it
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    • capitalism is not gping to go away. think of socialism as an evolution from capitalism. Where would we be without libraries, the police, fire and army
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    • once weve reached a plateau in capitalism, socialism will improve things and balance things out naturally. read marx, forget stalin. he preferred brute takeover
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    • but again wwII winner and global finance and a reserve currency plus our large export/import and companies and diverse ppl make us nothing close to other places
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    • something else to really absorb before rash generalizations with things that really have little in comparison
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    • doc you have it wrong. ill concede if men were ants with out any individual aspects they could form as a whole and beat any individual
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    • but they are not. at least yet. and marx was an idiot. dont u see he only saw himself as a beneficiary and totally disregarded how trade works.
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  • utopian0

    With Climate Change, Capitalism Could Literally Destroy the Earth By 2040

    https://www.pastemagazine.com/ar…

    • Or gov intervention could create a populist revolution and civil war out of fear. Which one is more probable?
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