Why are liberals called the enemies of American capitalism?

Question

when they dare suggest that government policy should be based on the well-being of our nation and its citizens rather than the bottom-line profits of corporations?

Answer 1

If anything they are the defenders of. Capitalism is based on possitivity in the individual's ability to succeed when given the chance. Liberals want more human freedoms. Just remember, "just because you hear something, doesn't make it true."

Answer 2

What you do not understand is that you are referring to public policy. Capitalism and democracy works best in a strong form of balance. Anytime, where each side of the balance gets too strong or power is too concentrated to one side between Corporations or Government that's where the system fails. The system only works when the nation as a whole benefit.

Worst case...When Corporations, the wealth generating element of our society, gets in bed with the Government, the rule making arm, then the balance is way out of sync. Corporations will use its influences in the Government to create barrier of entry to marketplaces to monopolistic cartels and the consumer suffers. The customer is the most important element in capitalism. Liberals endorse a line where government and business are more adversarial to maintain that balance. I also understand liberals go too far but checks and balances are elements of societal success.

Answer 3

You mischaracterize the reason that liberals are called the enemies of American capitalism. The issue is not balancing the "well-being of our nation and its citizens" against the "bottom-line profits of corporations". Liberals are enemies of capitalism to the extent they try to use government policy (including tax and regulatory policy), to redistribute wealth and/or reward constituents rather than to fund and fulfill essential government functions and services that really do benefit everyone.

Liberals choose coercion over persuasion. The use of force to take property (including "authorized force" or "legal force" through taxation & the threat of armed police to take you to jail if you don't pay) is correctly perceived as hostile. Laissez-faire capitalism means you don't give up your property (including money) unless you get in return something you personally value. Liberals hate the idea of laissez-faire capitalism. They appear to base this hatred on the notion that some kind of injustice must be at work if anyone is better off than anyone else or if they (gasp) accumulate wealth.

Liberals therefore believe that involuntary wealth redistribution accomplished primarily by the tax system, with tax laws backed up by police with guns, is good and moral, even noble. This is anathema to capitalists who, to the extent that taxation fails to approximate a bargained-for exchange, consider it theft. They believe in voluntary wealth redistribution accomplished primarily by free markets which facilitate bargained-for exchanges that benefit all the participants, and without burdensome regulations.

Those trying to achieve their objectives by the use of force and coercion rather than the use of reason, negotiation and persuasion are perceived as enemies. And rightly so.

Answer 4

FDR's policies saved capitalism from it's demise. Alan Greenspan stated "The income gap between the rich and the rest of the U.S. population has become so wide, and is growing so fast, that it might eventually threaten the stability of democratic capitalism itself." I would say that liberals are the hope of American capitalism.

Answer 5

Sean, many if not most Americans are employed by corporations. Good economic policy is good for all citizens.

Putting well being of citizens first diminishes the profit motive that drives our economy.

Look at our country compared with those around the world. Do we need more socialism or less? I'd argue less.

Answer 6

The reason is that general liberal policy, which is bigger government, more taxes, more restrictions, more social programs, tends to be a burden to the corporations. The policy hurts business more than it encourages it and quite honestly harms the citizens. The worker is the one who ends up paying these costs, either in lost wages or benefits and then heap taxes on top of that. I live in Pa where we have a very Democratic government and it is one of the worst states for businesses in the country. Compare that to policies in some southern states, that are more conservative, and you will see the benefits to business.

Answer 7

Because of Media policy!

Answer 8

I think the Capitalists {Both International and Americans]Are the worst Enemies Of American Capitalism system.They have almost strangled it .

Answer 9

I'm not a liberal, I'm a Marxist. But if you examine capitalism, I think you'll see that it favors big business and rich people. In capitalism, there absolutely must be poor people. Do you think that is fair?

Answer 10

all they want to do is go after anything that makes money because the libs dont want anyone to be successful. they want to take care of you, make you depend on the government. dont you see? already, we cant smoke where we want, we cant eat what we want, we are being told what we should drive, live, what medicine to take...everything. libs do not want anyone to be self sufficient. if you are, then they do not have any power over you any longer. that is what they want, power. why do you think they want us to be so much like europe? europe socialist run by socialists.