Why capitalism?

One of the great things about Capitalism is the ability to do whatever it is that makes you happy with your money. To suggest that a man should not give money to his children is ridiculous if not insane. What do we work hard for if not our progeny?
Communism fell under it's own weight because it took away the rights of the individual in favor of the Collective. People were starving to death so that their neighbor might have bread! Have you Communists not learned anything about how repugnant Communism truly is?
Remember this, you are living in a time when Communism has been defeated and will never raise it's ugly, selfish head ever again. I bet all of you Communists have never lived in Soviet Russia (where the economy is still reeling from the blunders of the Bolsheviks), or behind the Berlin wall, have you?

 

There are already restrictions on what you can and can not do with your money. Restricting inheritance would not be the first. Since there are already restrictions on what you can and can not do with your money there is evidence to suggest that another restriction would not dissuade you from earning money.

When looked at from an alternative point of view, the argument could be made that restricting inheritance would give people more reason to try to earn money. Any child who would have lived like a princess because of the millions and millions they have inherited from their fortunate and hardworking parents would be forced, through restricting inheritance, to choose honest and hard work or death.

Furthermore, should that inheritance money be distributed amoung the least fortunate, the economy would be strengthened. The inheritance money will be redistributed regardless of whom it goes to. The difference is the difference it would make in providing another productive actor. If it remained in the hands of the princess there would be one spender and one leech. Place the inheritance in the hands of the leech and there are two earners and workers.

Agreed. They are not required to do so.

But ought they do it regardless? Ought not people act in the best manner they can in every situation? Would not that simple notion correct many of the errors that unreasonable capitalism inevitably leads to? Keep in mind that I am not talking about restrictions on individual but restrictions within the individual. Also that I am not restricting such duty to economic actors but social, environmental, indeed actors in every aspect of life.

I have not benefited from my parents wealth because my parents were not wealthy by national standards. (At least not on scale with the likes of the Hilton sisters. Their expendable wealth is considerable. Where I have none. A computer is necessary for work and school. My government provided the school, my parents paid their taxes. I bought the computer second hand from a friend.)

I understand that in the global comparison I would reside in around the fiftieth percentile. Unfortunately the global economy is only nascent. It is not fully integrated as the sovereignty of nations according to the Westphalian sense of sovereignty is still sound. Indeed the rise of supraterritory and transcendent corporations has created a global economy in a sense, but such redistribution of wealth would be more along national lines before global.

 

This supposes that there is nothing more to deciding action than the principles that drive the economic system that leads to the accumulation of wealth. It sells the human experience quite short. It says nothing about the social values and responsibilities/duties we experience on a daily basis. The discussion isn’t about whether these are real or relative, only that they are there and can not be ignored.

One great thing about life is that there is much more to it than the principles of capitalism.

Ridiculous if not insane, eh? I don’t know you well enough to be insulted. You may be an idiot in which case the words lose meaning. I can’t say for sure.

We work hard in order that the economy remains strong. We do not (certainly ought not) work hard so that our children can have a lazy and simple life. To do so would be to impoverish them should the market fail. To do so would be to assure that they assume something for nothing.

To do so would be to make them socialists.

 

Certainly I find Paris Hilton disgusting. But it is her right to be that way. It would be a mistake for the government to take away those rights to her money. It is up to the parents to instill in the children a sense of work ethic, but if they cannot, it is simply none of our business.

I do not care if you think me an idiot or not, because I wasn't insulting you, just your ideas.

 

And Capitalism takes away the rights of the individual in favor of the market. General Motors got rid streetcar lines in North America by anticompetitive means in the name of profit even though it ment taking away the peoples right to cheaply get around.

Also even though in 1974 the US goverment acknowledged Gerneral Motors anticompeitive behavior and that it was unlawful, GM was never punished for their crimes. Just like MS today.

Same thing today, people are starving to death so companies can make money off food

I notice you only mentioned its failures, no mention of Spain under the control of the Libertarian/Marxist rebels.

Also have you seen Capitalism repugnat side? Try taking a trip to a American getto.

 

I would agree with you if we lived in an open society. Unfortunately the logic that rules our lives suggests that such a restriction would be just.

We restrict freedom for order. We do not allow certain things because they are not what is best for society. In doing so, we have already admitted that freedom is something that is left in the realm of the desirable not the practical. A legitimate appeal to freedom will not get me out of the burden of taxation because taxation is necessary for an orderly society and economy. It is justified by the idea that we ought do what is best for society. According to the place and life we live, the idea that inheritance should be redistributed is logical and can not be dismissed by an appeal to the ‘f’ word.

 

I live in an American ghetto. I am below poverty level. Such is the way of the world. I am happy with my life and would not have it any other way. I have no rights to anyone else's money, and I don't believe that anyone owes me anything that they have (or have not) worked hard for.
My husband is working a terrible job laying foundation blocks for homes so he can go to school to become an English teacher. The beauty of Capitalism is that a man can work hard to raise his rank. That would not be acheivable in Communism. Maybe if we lived in a perfect world where human beings were not greedy or selfish. But we are.
This argument could go on forever, I am sure.

 

And for all of you who celebrate the glories of Communism, I notice that none of you live in Communist countries.

 

Since when is Virginia Beach a communist country?

 

You misunderstood what I said. I never said I lived in a Communist country. I said it appeared that none of YOU lived in Communist countries.
Do you?

 

No.

Do you?


Edit: Then again, I live in Canada. Pretty close to communist Russia.

 

I don't live in a Communist country and thank God for that.

 

All I was saying is if an individual enjoys Communism so much, they have a few Communist countries to choose from that they could go to if they really wanted to. There is no need to bitch about Capitalism in a Capitalist country.

 

Canada? Canada is a far cry from Soviet Russia.

 

You are right. There are heavens for the communist. Unfortunately the capitalistic nature of the countries we do live in currently impoverish us to the point that we do not have the means to move out.

If the government redistributed the inheritances of the rich we might have those means. But they are too selfish. Even if that redistribution means we'll be out of their hair for good!





edit: of course canada is not like russia was. It was a cheap pot shot at my country.

 

In my opinion, if an ideal was important enough to you, you would find the means to make it come about. I think we are talking in circles comrade. (Was that too cheap? )

 

Ahh but even if you work you way out of the getto, the getto will still be there. Capitalism demands that someone has to pay for the greed of the aristocrats and that is the poor. Under capitalism people starve to death so they can live high on the hill.

Why should they have everything while they are responsible for the mess the world is in? Where is justice, why are these criminals rewarded for their crimes?

 

The downward spiral continues. It is a nice thought that the means are there to be found. Unfortunately they are not. Unless you are suggesting I acquire the means through unethical means. Of course, I can understand how it would be easy to suggest criminal activity and ravage of the innocent if you are a capitalist. Unfortunately I can’t be that way. It would be wrong.

As the role of technology increases (as is inevitable) the value added to the production process by dead labour increases proportionately. As more value is added by dead labour, less value can be added by live labour. That means that the amount of value added by the owners, managers, and menial workers (me) decreases and so does the profit we gain from the fruits of our labour. The maximization of profit is a principle of capitalism. According to that principle, the owners and managers, (those who control the production process ie. live labour) will decrease the wage of the labourer in order to keep their profits maximized (as they will be fired if they show a drop in profit).

How the hell am I supposed to make better money. I can only work 24 hours a day.

We will be talking in circles until you can show why we “ought not” redistribute inheritance amoung the less fortunate.

 

I refer you back to what I originally said.

 

That last one was for PSy.Prove that your right. Now then, I suggest you save your money, (surely not all of it goes to our evil government) and get the hell out of here the minute you have enough.
I am sure you will have some other exuse you can blame on our government. I am waiting.