Washington post - The end of american capitalism?

[ar81]

See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/09/AR2008100903425_pf.html

Comments? Opinions?

 

[Jarvitä]

See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/09/AR2008100903425_pf.html

Comments? Opinions?

Think of it as self-defence. If the American economy goes down, the American government will follow shortly. So they try to keep each other up for a bit longer, with the government using taxpayers' money and it's military power to assert the worldwide dominance of American companies and the economy that runs the media doing it's best to cover up the government's mess. It's a fragile system that can't last much longer, and for them it's logical that the two entities be merged into one to allow for easier control and more predictable behaviour.

In the end, it's all just prolonging the life of a system that has a flawed design and was destined to fail in the start, the paradoxal combination of capitalism and democracy. One of them has to go, preferably both.

 

[jedidia]

The end of american capitalism?

Not just yet. The downfall of our whole western economy and its wandering off to the eastern industry nations is definitaly foreseeable for a not so distant future, but now is too early. I think we will manage to keep a bit longer on our feet, and I think there will be one or two more such crisises before the Big-Bang (think inflation, which has started in the U.S. for quite some time now, but I mean the real thing... the kind of where you have to pay your newspaper with a hundred dollar bill). But I don't expect it any sooner than 2012 and no later than 2020. Not that I'm an expert or a prophet, though...

One of them has to go, preferably both

You don't like democracy?

 

[Urwumpe]

Nobody likes democracy. But nobody sane likes it less than the alternatives.

Democracy only works, when all people are democrats.

 

[Jarvitä]

Nobody likes democracy. But nobody sane likes it less than the alternatives.

Democracy only works, when all people are democrats.

To re-phrase: democracy works only to give power to people who don't believe in it. Otherwise, it's a self-perpetuating, self-serving abortion of a political system.

It's a good system for transition, after which it is to be discarded. There are ways for the will of the people to be heard that are far more efficient than a media celebrity popularity contest that democracy has degenerated into.

 

[ar81]

Vote for miss congeniality for president?? :lol:

 

[jgrillo2002]

*sigh. once again another scare tactic. that site is made by liberals to be socialist.no offense to you but stop being a socialist, ar81. I have been hearing bad things about you in the past and you are still doing so -_-. as a conservative republican i'm against this article.

 

[jgrillo2002]

delete post

 

[Urwumpe]

It's a good system for transition, after which it is to be discarded. There are ways for the will of the people to be heard that are far more efficient than a media celebrity popularity contest that democracy has degenerated into.

Like what?

 

[willy88]

Move to Canada. Or, wait, is the Canadian economy boned as well?

 

[Jarvitä]

Like what?

Socialism, as a transitional period to bring us into a truly communist society, of course.

 

[Urwumpe]

Socialism, as a transitional period to bring us into a truly communist society, of course.

Ah Marx great idea, but it did not yet survive reality. Could be because Marx was just an rich pig with too much free time....

Can you name one existing country, which ever left the transitional period? Cuba is still in revolution for 50 years with most changes since happening in the last two.

 

[ar81]

*sigh. once again another scare tactic. that site is made by liberals to be socialist.no offense to you but stop being a socialist, ar81. I have been hearing bad things about you in the past and you are still doing so -_-. as a conservative republican i'm against this article.

I get emails from socialist people who I refute, and they think I "defend the evil american empire". I just post here the ideas that they present that seem reasonable only. Socialists here where I live do not like me. And it seems that capitalists in this forum neither.

It is the same tactic socialists here use. Stop being a capitalist. Stop being a socialist. Stop questioning, stop asking about the design flaws of the hive.

The funny thing is that I am not saying that. It is Washington Post.
To me, capitalism is a hive where bees serve companies, and socialism is a hive where human bees serve government.
If you question socialists you are a capitalist, and if you question capitalists, you are a socialist. Truth is I am none.
I would like a society that could serve human being, not a hive of human bees that serve a system.


-----Posted Added-----

Can you name one existing country, which ever left the transitional period? Cuba is still in revolution for 50 years with most changes since happening in the last two.

Do Amish work as example? They do not use money and all property is collective. This is the most perfect communist system I have ever seen on Earth. They used no revolution and no democracy. They just live like that and do not care about politics. Probably the imperfection of capitalism and socialism is that they became political systems in a system centered design, instead of having a human centered design.

So the next time you see them, yell at them "communists!!!" :rofl:

 

[Jarvitä]

Ah Marx great idea, but it did not yet survive reality. Could be because Marx was just an rich pig with too much free time....

Can you name one existing country, which ever left the transitional period? Cuba is still in revolution for 50 years with most changes since happening in the last two.

It took over two thousand years between the Greeks' discovery of the concept of democracy and the beginning of it's widespread application. Unlike capitalism, democracy and communism don't bring anyone short-term profit (despite having long-term benefits that outweigh any immediate profits), so they both need time to settle in the peoples' minds.

 

[pattersoncr]

Do Amish work as example? They do not use money and all property is collective. This is the most perfect communist system I have ever seen on Earth...

Where did you get that idea? In addition to always being willing to help a neighbor, Amish are very shrewd businessmen.

 

[ar81]

Where did you get that idea? In addition to always being willing to help a neighbor, Amish are very shrewd businessmen.

They use money only to buy land.
But internally they do not have a currency.

 

[Moonwalker]

Nobody likes democracy.

I do


-----Posted Added-----

Socialism, as a transitional period to bring us into a truly communist society, of course.

Certainly not me, very of course!

 

[pattersoncr]

Certainly not me, very of course!

Nor I so long as there is breath in my lungs!

 

[Urwumpe]

It took over two thousand years between the Greeks' discovery of the concept of democracy and the beginning of it's widespread application. Unlike capitalism, democracy and communism don't bring anyone short-term profit (despite having long-term benefits that outweigh any immediate profits), so they both need time to settle in the peoples' minds.

It was pretty common in the mediterrean sea region at that time, but people thought that a strong ruler is better as a representative democracy. well, they got what they called for.

 

[Hielor]

Democracy, or rather, a representative democracy, has proven that it works better than communism. Why anyone would advocate communism when it has been shown several times to be ineffective is beyond me.

The problem with communism is that it does not work in any case where people have greed or personal ambition. Absent those, then yes communism would be a fantastic system.

However, this is reality. People are greedy; people have personal ambition. A representative democracy allows those who have personal ambition to express it, while still serving the needs of their voters. Communism does not allow for such, and in a society comprised of humans who are inherently not perfect, will not work.

Out of curiousity, how can you claim that communism works better than democracy when the american system has worked nearly unchanged for over 200 years? I challenge you to present a communist system that has worked that well for that long.