Throughout the history of the 20th century communism, socialism and facism have been identified as threats to a 'free' society, but I feel capitalism and the consumerist ideas that come hand in hand with caplitalism has led to social and moral degredation. Families have been taken apart as our socieities have become more highly mobile leading to isolation and lack of social cohesion. Crime is increasing, prisons are getting more and more overcrowded because of poverty, the increasing gap between the haves and have nots, and bad parenting. Wars are conducted so that head capitalist nations such as the US, UK, Japan etc can get contracts to make weapons to destroy 3rd world countries and rebuild them again, and rob them of their resources.
To put it simply Capitalism is a dehumanising political force as any other.
Do you agree?
2006-12-16 03:25:03 · 6 answers · asked by Max 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
No.
2006-12-16 03:28:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Simply put, Capitalism is not Utopia.
I never bought the theory that poverty causes crime. Being poor in America today usually means you live in a house or apartment with multiple bedrooms, hot and cold running water, heat, electricity, TV, stereo, plenty of food on the table and clothes, often AC, and usually 1 or two cars. In the old days, poverty meant people going hungry, living in shacks that didn't have modern amenitiesl. Yet some how they weren't a bunch of hoods and drug dealers.
Many of the problems you indicate are caused by a lack morals and values. I'd sooner blame welfare and "The Great Society" than I would capitalism. Capitalism requires personal responsibility and performance. Welfare eliminates those requirements. Welfare actually encouraged the destruction of the nuclear family, in that the gov't took the role of Dad, and for a time actually encouraged poor unwed women to stay at home and have more babies. Is it any wonder that 15 -25 years later, a bunch of those kids are now criminals.
Capitalism is the only economic system that respects human freedom. Every transaction is voluntary! What can be more respectful to humans than that? Other economic systems which do not respect human freedom are far more dehumanising. By the way, Capitalism is not a political force, but an economic one.
The increasing gap between the haves and have nots is a bunch of horse manure. Census data proves that ALL INCOME GROUPS, including the poor and middle class have been getting richer over time. So what difference does it make if the rich get richer faster? As long as we all get richer in the end!
If you want to make the argument we are not happier because we've switched deriving our happiness from faith and family to materialism, I won't argue against that.
2006-12-17 05:05:25 · answer #2 · answered by Uncle Pennybags 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It isn't capitalism. It is lack of ethics. The same problems in society exist in other economic systems. Ken Lay of Enron didn't do the things he did because he was a capitalist, but because he lacked ethics. No economic system is going to solve lack of moral thought or compass. But capitalism, true capitalism, is the great equalizer. If practiced with ethics. What is dehumanizing is negating the human spirit for achieving and creativity. It seems socialism and communism creates a stagnation of ingenuity and work ethic.
As far as fascism, well, that is the total lack of personal freedom.
Capitalism is personal responsibility on both the economic and social levels.
2006-12-16 03:52:30 · answer #3 · answered by robling_dwrdesign 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There are always imperfections that follow having freedom. Laws are there to keep individual freedom safe, but there will always be people who break the rules.
The biggest threat to capitalism is the breakdown in the courts and the over-regulation of government imposing on the freedoms of everyone.
That's part of the Marxist plan. To create lawlessness, to indoctrinate the schools and impose government regulation on all private operations. This makes capitalism look as though it doesn't work so that the ignorant will think the solution is socialism or communism.
Oddly, despite all the attempts by socialists to destroy capitalism, the economy still thrives. Just think how rich we'd all be if they weren't working so hard to make it fail.
2006-12-16 03:38:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes, I agree. You are right. The best thing is a little bit of socialism, combined with a little bit of capitalism, but not to turn money into an ideal. And for God sake, nothing can justify the phenomena of former heads of states earning more money from lectures then strippers.
2006-12-16 04:14:15 · answer #5 · answered by Avner Eliyahu R 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
No. What system do you think is better?
2006-12-16 05:33:52 · answer #6 · answered by yupchagee 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋