Communisn vs Capitalism: Which Sytem Is More Flexible?

Discussion in 'Communism' started by Motion, Oct 30, 2012.

  1. Motion

    Motion Senior Member

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    If you were judging each system by how flexible they are which would most consider to be the most flexible system? How flexible a system is says alot about how successful it will be and how well it will be recieved by people. The more rigid system won't be able to change and adapt when it needs to. So how flexible was Soviet communism as compared to U.S capitalism?
     
  2. The Center

    The Center Member

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    They are both inflexible. They are systems, and systems are inherently inflexible, otherwise they won't be systems.
     
  3. Motion

    Motion Senior Member

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    Maybe both are inflexible but in different ways. With capitalism I see more adaptability. Businesses will adapt to what consumers want in both production and prices. A communist government determines what will be produced and at what price for consumers. Under capitalism people can easily change jobs or take jobs of their choosing assuming they have the right education or training. Under communism many jobs were assigned to people. Communism's lack of flexibility and options is what I think made it fail.
     
  4. The Center

    The Center Member

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    Capitalism appears to be more flexible, but instead of a government dictating what happens, money becomes the dictator. Consumers don't dictate what is produced, the price of the product dictates what the consumer can buy. Only people with money are left with any power. Capitalism is the ultimate form of money-worship. Capitalism is busy failing as we speak, as the economy is busy crumbling. Capitalism only appears more flexible, as people have 'choices', but those choices are limited to how much money one has. Even our judicial system is corrupted with money, as the one who can afford the best lawyers tends to win. It costs a lot of money to sue someone, or to defend yourself if you are sued. The problem with both systems is that it is money-based, not resource based. If resources was the only thing taken into consideration, things would be MUCH more flexible, but resources are not taken into consideration, but only the money it takes to buy those resources. We have enough technological resources to change the planet. We have enough human resources to change the planet. We have enough natural resources to change the planet. We do not have enough money to change the planet. People chose their jobs according to how much money they can make, not according to their destinies. Nature and ethics comes second to money, as money is needed for survival. Money has corrupted countless organizations, religions, beliefs, and ethics. The world runs on take first and then give, instead of a balance between give and take.
     
  5. Motion

    Motion Senior Member

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    Ok so has anyone come up with a better alternative to this that works?
     
  6. Summerhill

    Summerhill Member

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    In a world of dwindeling resources & a population that threatens to grow beyond them it would seem that an objectively planned economy/governance as has been typical of Socialist/Communist societies is the best bet for survival.

    A 'flat' predictably undynamic economy may be a good thing in such curcumstances & be the most stable & adaptable to need. The greatest flaw in the communist ideal,for me, is that it assumes a being that has never existed in nature in any abundance at least ; the Selfless Human !

    Some individuals work harder than others,are more enterprizing,more inventive,aggresive,curious,ect. By nature we are designed to thrive ,or fail,in a competative environment,as individuals. Its a cheerless outlook to imagine human nature restricted & cowed by a system that limits its dynamics for the sake of survival.

    Maybe the solution to the contradiction lies in how soon we can begin to adapt to the ideas of self discipline and selflessness. The longer we take to adapt the fewer resources we will have available,therefore the fewer options for freedom & individual endeavor. The more quickly we can adapt toward an evolved realistic state of selflessness the wider,greater, our options for a more 'fullfiling' & humane survival will be.
     
  7. Motion

    Motion Senior Member

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    But didn't communist economies cause situations where they over produced things that few people wanted because there were no market prices giving them the correct info on how much of something needed to be produced based on consumer demand which led to waste?
     
  8. Summerhill

    Summerhill Member

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    Yes you're totally correct. I was assuming that in a future time they'd have learned from the past& would not repeat the error. A true Communist state has never existed. The USSR & others,were huge socailist burocracies managing total monoplies in a system wherein stagnancey was almost considered a virtue. Scarcity & waste were ignored,being politically unacceptable realities.
    Were we ever to develop ,as a necesity, a communist society as the best means of survival availability,supply & demand would need to be tied closely together. Producers would be consumers. We could not afford self delusion.
     
  9. stormountainman

    stormountainman Soy Un Truckero

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    Karl Marx said that capitalism must always expand its domain and markets, or fail. When capitalism cannot grow anymore, it will fail. That's why we have wars. They are to open new markets for the multi national corporations. In the old days, we had capitalism and communism. Today we have government command economies vs. corporate command economies. There is no true form of capitalism on planet earth.
     

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