Would you want Capitalism or Socialism in our country?

Question

I'm just Curious.

Answer 1

I would prefer communism but alas it cannot exist in its pure form and ALWAYS reverts to socialism. Screw THAT. So I'll take capitalism.


ADDENDUM:

I have to say, after reading all the answers to this point that I do not believe people REALLY understand what socialism IS and in reality are meaning to prefer communism. Folks, socialism is what the Soviet Union was and China is. Communism is an ideal never fully achieved by any civilization in world history.

Answer 2

Hows this for irony? The military is the guardian of American interests, especially Capitalism. Anyone who serves in the military (including myself) can tell you the military is the most socialist lifestyle available living in the United States. We have socialized medicine. You give up assorted freedoms, but everything is provided by the state: housing, food (if you are single), utilities, many services and sometimes your vehicle. Nothing is done for profit, but for the greater good of the people (sort of).

On the flip side, many things are done really inefficently, because it is not based on profit, just on a mission. Sometimes it is difficult to be truly motived to work harder, since you will make the same wage either way. You might get promoted sooner or win semi-meaningless awards, but you can't make the serious cash you could on the outside with the extra effort.

I guess choosing between Capitalism and Socialism depends on how well you think you will do in the free market. Personally, I'm a little wary about when I get out having to actually pay for outrageous medical bills or high priced medical insurance. I guess I'd like to see medical care a little more Socialist, but everything else Capitalistic. Is that fair?

Answer 3

I would prefer a true Capitalist system where the federal government only took care of the military, treaties with other nations, and the environmental and labor regulations to protect both the worker and the environment. I would get rid of all industrial unions but keep the ones for trade only. I would get rid of the Department of Education and set guidelines that schools would have to follow so that we have competition in education so that people will learn more and better. Socialism and Communism have never worked for long. Take a look at Europe both the Western which is more Socialist and the Eastern European nations that were Communist. Both have suffered lately because the Federal governments can never provide enough unlike the Capitalist system does. Prices and goods are tied to demand. If there is more demand for an item than the price goes up. As more people make that product, than the supply goes up and price goes down.

Answer 4

Capitalism. But the truth is capitalism exists in any civilization above the hunter gatherer level. Move above that and you have to barter with someone for an exchange of goods or services. It's as simple as that. The black market existed during the whole history of the Soviet Union, it's where the Russian mob comes from. China is just a capitalist country run by a totalitarian regime. Cuba has opened itself up to other countries. I guess that leaves North Korea as socialist but they have to blackmail the world with nuclear weapons.

Answer 5

Socialism

Answer 6

Well, like they say, Socialism works brilliantly in theory, but in practise it's hard for governments to run businesses properly and keep the people happy at the same time. Bureaucracy gets in the way of a government-owned business, but if you take away the bureaucracy you're left with a dictatorship, and absolute power always corrupts.

Problem is, with pure Capitalism and a truly free market, the government completely ditches any form of regulation on businesses, and they get to run themselves anyway they want, and of course they have the absolute power to charge/act the way they want, and they become corrupt.

The best way has to be in the middle, with some government regulation but not too much!

Answer 7

Capitalism...Looks like most of the people on Yahoo Questions are leftists who don't know better. With socialism you could lose the right to own property. So if any land owner says they are for Socialism is dumb because when socialism turns dark they redistribute wealth to the poor the the middle class is destroyed.

Also under socialism your job is guaranteed, corruption could get you any position you want. They don't hire the best for the jobs, just whoever wants it.

Answer 8

Socialism by a long shot. The greatest good for the greatest number, therefore things like education and medicine are available to everyone, not just the rich in the user pays system of capitalism which just looks after the individual.

Answer 9

The answer is simple, you cannot have one or the other, it has to be a combination of both. For a return to the Guilded Age of Captiolism would be a step backwards. This would again promote child labour and worker's rights infractions. Also, socailism provides society with items that capitolism is not setup to handle. Capitolism is not setup to handle injured workers and the elderly. It is simply to make profit, cut and dry.

You cannot have a solitist state with an eventual move to pure communism, becuase it is the drive to succeed and better ones self that is found in capitolism that keeps the society and hence the economies running. Communism is based on everyone gets equal,but that leads to sloth and apathy and a shattered economy.

So the answer is a fine balancing act for both. I hope that helps.

Answer 10

Capitalism has already been tried and doesn't work. So I'd pick socialism along with peace...2 things that haven't really been fully tried yet.