Runaway capitalism isn’t the answer. Oppressive, regressive runaway socialism isn’t the answer either. The answer is somewhere in the middle, but the tribalism that the political class, elite class, and media push is what keeps Americans too divided to discover that for themselves.
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Capitalism is not a perfect system and neither is socialism. It seems like all systems eventually become infested with corruption. A lot of the corruption in capitalism results from big companies getting in bed with government officials, so looking for government to fix the problem may not work out.
Capitalism has brought us so many advancements in technology, space exploration, transport, etc in the last few decades that never would have happened in a socialist system. I suppose some people would just say they prefer not to have those advancements. OK, everybody’s different I suppose.
I’m afraid we need a crash and burn before this corrupt capitalism phase will perish. Personally, I hope we can get a fresh start with true capitalism again and not this crony capitalism. That could be helped along by imposing 1 term limits on elected government officials.
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Love this take 
I am unsure how Socialism would stop people from inventing things and advancing technologies. What do people think Socialism is? Regressive and oppressive? What? The Soviets were the 1st people in space lol Unfettered American Capitalism is just our Government regulating what they want and not what they should. If you have money you control everything. If you don’t you are oppressed and at the bottom of the food chain. Man I have health insurance and a blood thinner I am supposed to be taking is $470 a month. I can’t afford that shit. I suppose I should get a better job under capitalism eh because Socialism would just destroy America.
I had a Dr. appointment on Monday and talking with the guy I was telling him how I usually see Dr Lyons but she is booked up through August and he said oh yea I am also booked up to September. I said “What? I thought that only happened in Canada”? and we both shared a laugh about the blatant misinformation surrounding so many things in this country and around the world really. It’s sad. People read a wiki article or read a news story on their super biased news site pushing an agenda or something and then they become the expert when they really just have no clue.
Socialism would actually deconstruct this crap Government and take the power from them and put the people in control. The Government already controls everything. But it doesn’t really matter what system we have. It will always become infested with corrupt people who will abuse whatever power they have. History shows that power corrupts.
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This.
Too many government officials cuck to the dollar. The place money over morals, profit over people, etc. I mean we legit have Ted Cruz who said, and this isn’t a direct quote but it is close, “To America’s woke companies: The next time you need a regulatory change or a tax break, don’t knock on my door. I am no longer accepting your money.” I mean the dude openly admitted to corruption. It isn’t a level playing field out there at all. Lobbying politicians to get favorable treatment, and manipulation of laws to work in your favor is not a free market.
Hell, did you know that the bottled water industry successfully lobbied congress to allow the term “spring water” to be placed on their labels if the water they are using connects to a spring AT ANY POINT in its “journey” for lack of a better term.
Furthermore our tax dollars are being used to subsidize major industries, and then those industries are selling their products to us for profit. Pharmaceutical companies are closing or severely downsizing their R&D divisions in favor of piggybacking off of CDC and university studies (tax payer funded…) in order to make a new drug. Then the drug is sold to us for thousands of dollars (and a LOT LESS than that in other countries). We are also subsidizing the richest men in the world… and often. I can’t stand that crap.
Yes, Russia is a veritable hotbed of innovation. The only reason they were horny to get into space is to show America who had the biggest dick.
Thanks, I needed a good laugh.
Humanity is doomed. Just burn it all to the ground and don’t bother rebuilding.
I kid, but somedays I feel like this.
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I do have to say that I can’t take positions that outright scoff at socialism seriously. Not interested in getting into debates with those that’ve been indoctrinated by a lifetime of American/Capitalist propaganda either.
Respect to those that can admit that both systems have their benefits and their flaws.
There are plenty of countries in this world that have adopted socialist ideas and policies and are doing just fine. For instance, the Scandinavian countries are identified as some of the happiest in the world, year after year.
Anyway, I didn’t mean for this to turn into a disrespectful debate over capitalism/socialism, but it looks like it’s starting to head in that direction so I’ll go ahead and resign from this thread now.
Was honestly curious to hear some answers to what I interpreted as contradictions and am thankful for those that were able to respond with tact and class.
Cheers.
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It’s just obvious some people don’t really know what Socialism is in the way they respond. I am not even talking about in these comments but just anywhere this topic comes up. People in this country have been regurgitating 1950’s American propaganda that says the only way is the American way because we’re all free! Yahoo Skeeter! We gots freedumb! No one in this country is truly free unless they have enough money to buy politicians to make laws for everyone else but them. Federal and local Governments control everything in your life. How tall the grass on your lawn can be, whether you have to wear a seatbelt or a helmet, what you can buy in the grocery store, how much you pay in property and school tax, the size of the sign you can have on the front of your business, where your cows can graze. The list goes on and on and on and on and on. The only difference I see between capitalism and socialism is under socialism the people on the bottom at least don’t die on the street because they can’t afford stuff. How did Americans become so selfish that they don’t care about what happens to their neighbor. People trying to hoard toilet paper and food during a global crisis so they can survive and screw everyone else tells me all i need to know about American society. We have this huge political divide in this country where people literally hate each other and the sad reality is that most of the people who vote don’t even make enough money for their vote to really matter. No political party in this country is working for you unless you make a mid range 6 figure salary.
https://speakoutsocialists.org/wp-content/uploads/capitalism-pyramid-updated-text-1-1.jpg
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Cool but the point was that they still made it into space before America and they did it under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and not under capitalism. Socialism does not stop people from inventing things and advancing technologies.
Sure. I’m from Canada. We have some socialistic type policies but we’re not a socialist country. Neither is Sweden. Let’s not confuse the two issues. I’m talking about socialism… like the “You’ll own nothing and be happy about it” type of socialism… where the government owns the means of production.
That’s not socialism. What you described is Communism. I know you are from Canada but in America this is a huge problem. People confuse Socialism with Communism and Totalitarianism. They conflate all 3 terms together into the same thing. Socialism is by the people for the people. Communism and Totalitarianism is by the Government for the Government and then for the people, if they feel like it.
“Communism is a centralized form of government led by a single party that is often authoritarian in its rule. Inspired by German philosopher Karl Marx, communist states replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of economic production, such as labor, capital goods, and natural resources. Citizens are part of a classless society that distributes goods and services as needed”.
“Socialism is a system that encourages cooperation rather than competition among citizens. Citizens communally own the means of production and distribution of goods and services, while a centralized government manages it. Each person benefits from and contributes to the system according to their needs and ability”.
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LOL. How is this different than the government owns the means of production? Other than trying to use flowery terms to make people feel better about it. OK the government is just managing it for us… wink wink. The people really own it… do they get shares as proof of ownership?
Government does such a great job of managing things right? Lets just give them everything we have and they can manage it.
From my understanding, out of the 100 largest economies in the world, 49 are National GDPs, the other 51 are global corporations. So, for the first time in history, corporations have more economical influence over the world than governments do. Corporations look out for their shareholders. Governments (are suppose to) look out for their citizens. Imo, having all that economic influence in the hands of greedy, selfish corporations, is very dangerous, and won’t end well for the little guy (you and me).
Have the Government manage everything? No. That’s totalitarianism. Even with the definitions right there to read you still confuse them.
I concur with that sentiment. Sone of America’s proudest groups are socialist programs. Like the police and fire services provided by the government, as well as the US Military, which is the world’s largest socialist program.
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In your definition of socialism you said…
“Citizens communally own the means of production and distribution of goods and services, while a centralized government manages it.”
… now you are saying that is totalitarianism?
Managing does not equal owning and distributing. If you want to keep conflating Socialism, especially Democratic Socialism(Think Nordic Model) with Communism and other forms of society and Government then you are free to do so. 
Those aren’t socialist programs at all. We pay for these services and are completely willing to do so because they are the foundation for any stable and safe society. Society benefits.
In regard to medical care and socialism, we should be fighting for making medical costs more affordable for everyone by identifying every policy that inflates the cost first before we consider socializing it.
The blood thinner is probably $20 a month in other countries. We shouldn’t just blow up the whole system, the system that has brought more people out of poverty than any other system in history, rather than just changing bad policy that would allow people to pay the same $20.
How about the menu for medical costs that medical providers must post publicly due to the new law? This law is brand new and should create competition and drive prices lower. Shouldn’t we wait to see how that pans out before throwing the white flag to socialism?
Also, isn’t the American Medical Industry already behaving with socialist policies? These two examples I just laid out are anti-capitalism, policy-driven problems.
What I find most hilarious about these conversations is that it proves that corporations are the real problem. It’s obvious, no matter what side of the aisle you’re on, that we all agree to that. They’re doing such a good job distracting us and encouraging us to fight with each other. I pray that people start to see that and start to meet in the middle so they can redirect their energy at them, rather than each other.
As far as Blackstone goes, I’ve been railing about these guys for 10 years. They bought up entire neighborhoods in Arizona and Nevada back in the great recession. I’m highly against this.
I think the US should pass a law that no one is able to own more than 10 properties. That would solve the affordability problem real quick.
Capitalism works. But you have to turn the knobs of regulation to keep it honest.
Payed for by the people, to do work for the benefit of the society as a whole. The laymans definition of socialist.
Why is paying your military, or police, with tax money to provide a benefit to society not socialist, but paying your doctor’s with tax money to provide a benefit to society is socialist?
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