Aren't Libraries an anti-capitalist and socialist idea and therefore un-American?

Question

You get to borrow books, cds, dvds and other media for free. This is taking away from the bottom lines of Barnes and Noble, Blockbuster, Netflix, etc.! Plus, my tax dollars go to pay for the library even if I never use it! That is socialist. Should libraries be abolished?

Shaz,

If that's the case, then can't my company pay lower taxes by refraining from supporting libraries? The fact that I can't means COMMUNISM!!!

Answer 1

That's a good point...take it up with your local legislature and maybe even a lawyer...see how far it goes...

But not until AFTER February...I have a thesis to finish and really need the free library books. Thanks!

Answer 2

You can BORROW a book, cd, dvd, or other media for free from the library. You have to return it or pay fees.

What I want to see is these companies you listed coming forth and complaining that libraries are cutting into their profits. Do you have a link for that anywhere? I bet not. Do you have any studies indicating how much money these companies have lost? Once again, I bet not.

What about prisons? Your taxes pay for the food, shelter, and upkeep of prisoners. They pay nothing but time and some humanity. Do you think we should convert the prisons to sweatshops so that the prisoners can support themselves?

What about public schools? They provide free education to students. Are they in competition to private schools? Do you want to abolish those as well?

Also, look at the total expenditure of taxes towards libraries. I don't think that there is much going towards that. Last year, maybe a dollar of your taxes went to the library (if that much).

Answer 3

No. And, if I recall correctly, the modern library system had a huge injection of personal capital from none other than Andrew Carnegie. As the lore goes, he was fortunate enough to have access to books at an early age and that helped him be successful in business. Wanting to ensure that others could benefit and prosper in a capitalistic system as he had, he funded a ton of libraries. Incidentally, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are carrying on this tradition, not just in the US, but also globally.

So, whether or not you use it, or believe in the goals of a public library system, it would not be where it is today were it not for successful capitalists.

Answer 4

Sure, they are socialist assuming it's comes from tax dollars. Actually, that varies from library to library because I know that my public library gets its funding from city SALES taxes. I know that borrowing is free there but you do have to pay a FINE for over due books. It does depend on how librarians are held ACCOUNTABLE to make it run effectively. I'm not so sure how that public libraries are "un-American."

I will agree that the library should be abolished because the Internet is replacing all those books. In fact, I use sources on-line now to write a paper.

Answer 5

TANSTAAFL.

Libraries have expenses and budgets. Some of their funding is from taxpayers, some via private donors and bequests in wills, some from grant applications, &c. There's never enough! Melinda Gates' foundation helped a lot of rural libraries get started.

While your community wants people of all economic levels to have access to books and other media at no cost to the individual user, that doesn't happen by PFM any more than the lights come on, the toilet flushes, or that road to get there got paved by magick. Support your local library. It's tax deductible.

Answer 6

No because they are NOT against capitalism.

I know all about economics and hence all about the systems. See the Library is a public institution which gives free information to the masses which in turn makes them more knowledgable and hence easier to train which reduces the expenses of the business when hirering an employee.

This makes more money available for the business to spend on R+D, social investments, business investments, worker benefits+wages..which leads to more money for the worker which means they can buy more products which makes more money for business, etc, etc , etc...both of which create more taxes which makes ffor better national infrastructure and programs which subsidize public+private life which again makes for more money in economy.

That is capitalism



FYI..short answer you DO pay for libraries with your taxes and if you do not use that is YOUR issue not the libraries

Answer 7

No, because education is the basis for democracy. The collection and storage of knowledge, books, facts, documents, and yes even movies and music helps people gain knowledge. Yes, it is communitarian, but it is not "socialist" nor "communist" (because the government is not controlling the supply of knowledge.) And it's not anti-american because, as Locke recognized, we engage in a "social contract" with the government not only for our safety, but also to do things together as a society. We build roads and provide fire protection and provide education. Is it theoretically possible that private entities coudl do some of these things? Yes (and sometimes they do). But in most cases, the government does them -- in any form of society. The United States is a democracy -- it is not an anarchic state with libertarian capitalistic principles.

As far as "taking away from the bottom lines" of stores, remember we have LOTS of laws that affect a store's bottom line -- we have minimum wage laws, labor laws, environmental control laws, tax laws, heck even occupancy laws, which, if they didn't exist, would theoretically allow a store to make tons more money. But because we believe that unchecked capitalism can be as much of a harm as no capitalism, we have these laws to ensure that employers offer safe premises and products and contribute to our society.
(2) Your tax dollars go to lots of things that you never use. Your tax dollars subsidize farmers' products that you never eat, bridges that you never cross, health clinics you never patronize. A lot of your tax dollars go to fire departments that you probably never use and schools you've never attended. And your tax dollars maybe even support programs that you completely and utterly disagree with (like abstainence only education programs). But, except for the purchase of religious displays, the Supreme Court has repeatedly rejected the idea that a taxpayer can withhold a portion of his taxes that may go to the program he doesn't approve of. All the money goes in the same pool -- some helps you directly, some helps you indirectly as it bolsters our society, and some doesn't help you one iota. If you don't like it, petition your legislator or start a grassroots campaign. But you can't sue.

Answer 8

The thought is(same with public education) that people get educated and read more and they get better jobs and pay more taxes, which actually will bring revenue to the US. Unless you prefer a class system, which is pretty anti-American. The American Dream is the hope that anyone can move freely from class to class. If you take away that hope, you're hurting America.

Answer 9

What an absurd question. Nowhere in the beliefs of capitalists does it say that government can't give things to its people free of charge. Until libraries are putting bookstores out of business (and you might have noticed they are not) there is no pro-capitalist argument against them.

You might as well argue to privitize the Highway system and make EVERY road a toll road.

Answer 10

Yes, libraries are definitely anti-capitalistic. Which in my opinion is a good thing.

If you want to live in a capitalist country then you should fight against libraries. But why on earth would you want this? I suggest taking a look at both sides of the argument before making any rash decisions.

Answer 11

I hope your very wealthy or a CEO of a big company. Otherwise your rooting for the wrong team. What we have here is capitalism on steroids. No room at the top. Enjoy your meager existence (with no libraries).