FarBeyondDriven Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Looking for serious answers and debate. Do you think Capitalism works? What works better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cammando Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Capitalism has a few warts but it is the only system that continually works.. All others, socialism, communism, etc have failed miserably.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegrasscard Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Lets let Milton Friedman answer this.... [video=youtube;MQ0-cDKMS5M] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegrasscard Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Friedman;s comment are accurate. However, every system - including a free market system that leverages capitalism - can fail the 'common person'. Free market / capitalism (I believe they are somewhat separate 'systems' but also tightly related) can fail the average person. Hence why there must safeguards in place. Monopolization, exploitation of labor, over-consumpition of natural resources are elements that should be safe-guarded. So free market/capitalism has potential and at times real issues that can be very negative. What is most needed are leaders of business who have a sense of responbility that goes beyond solely the infamous 'bottom line' or their accountant's spreadsheets. Free market/'capitalism can be the goose that lays the golden egg. But, as the story goes, if the goose is overworked or abused - the golden eggs for both the owners of the business and workers will stop eventually. The free market (Adam Smith concepts) allows for the things Friedman talks about. Capitalism - the act of investing capital to get a return - a crucial element of that. It is the basis of a free society where there is no central command - either government or banks, etc. But like freedom in the political sense - it comes with responsibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkypete Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Compassionate Capitalism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Parker Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Friedman;s comment are accurate. However, every system - including a free market system that leverages capitalism - can fail the 'common person'. Free market / capitalism (I believe they are somewhat separate 'systems' but also tightly related) can fail the average person. Hence why there must safeguards in place. Monopolization, exploitation of labor, over-consumpition of natural resources are elements that should be safe-guarded. So free market/capitalism has potential and at times real issues that can be very negative. What is most needed are leaders of business who have a sense of responbility that goes beyond solely the infamous 'bottom line' or their accountant's spreadsheets. Free market/'capitalism can be the goose that lays the golden egg. But, as the story goes, if the goose is overworked or abused - the golden eggs for both the owners of the business and workers will stop eventually. The free market (Adam Smith concepts) allows for the things Friedman talks about. Capitalism - the act of investing capital to get a return - a crucial element of that. It is the basis of a free society where there is no central command - either government or banks, etc. But like freedom in the political sense - it comes with responsibility. Spot on. :thumb: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InItToWinIt Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Agree with Bluegrasscard. Unfettered capitalism does not work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Europe has been trying a blend of Capitalism and Socialism which hasn't been too successful lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarBeyondDriven Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Agree with Bluegrasscard. Unfettered capitalism does not work.I would argue that unfettered Capitalism works better than any other "ism". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegrasscard Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Agree with Bluegrasscard. Unfettered capitalism does not work. I would argue that unfettered Capitalism works better than any other "ism". I did not really mean that it would not work but that it would not benefit all the stakeholders especially the common person. Unfettered capitalism lead to poor wages, long hours and fairly poor working conditions for the average worker at times. But did it work for Rockefeller, JP Morgan and Carnegie? Yes. Did they build infrastructure that no other '-ism' could have built in such a sort time to propel the US into the lead of the industrial revolution? Yes. And in that sense the nation overall and long term benefited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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