Is capitalism an authoritarian system?

Question

How can an economic system in which the majority have little input be just in a country like the United States where political democracy is so important? Capitalism is controlled by the few for the benefit of the few, and shouldn't a political democracy also have economic democracy (such as employees voting for the board members).

How can an economic system in which the majority have little input be just in a country like the United States where political democracy is so important? Capitalism is controlled by the few for the benefit of the few, and shouldn't a political democracy also have economic democracy (such as employees voting for the board members). I think that the Communist states like China, Cuba, and North Korea are indeed oppressive. In those countries, the unelected politicians control economy not the workers by popular vote. Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries are the closest to socialism in my opinion, and most anarchists (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism) are socialists.

Capitalism is not democracy. The people with the most money have more of a say in the economy. Every vote is equal in a democracy.

Answer 1

Everyone is wrong here!

People think you would be 'free' under capitalism, but you would be free to starve. Freedom from human force is not the only milestone of a society. You also need to be free from natural coercion and have enough to eat, shelter, medical care, education, free from thieves and your house burning down (police and fire), free from being destitute in your old age (Social Security).

Now of course many people can do these things by themselves, but many can't. That is the role of modern government. Yes, a small percent of the poor abuse the system, but since only a small percent of the population is poor, the dis-incentive effect must be very small.

Further, capitalism, if left by itself, tends to be a Darwinian struggle for the fittest, with the winner on top. The fact is that there is a small class of people who own the vast majority of assets in the US. Only 1% make over 100,000 (or is it 300,000?).

As to whether economic democracy is a good alternative to this, I am not sure. I think a progressive income tax, education, health care for everyone, laws against monopoly, equal time laws is probably enough. In short, where the US was before Reagan!

Answer 2

Capitalism is a way to run a economy, and can coexist with all sorts of governments. All that is required to have a capitalist system is that governments not impede free markets and enforce property rights. They can and often do tax to support social welfare, breakup monopolies, and have policies the compensate for externalites such as pollution. If the government is corrupt and does not do the will of the people because of economic power, then what needs to be fixed is the political system, not the economic system.

Answer 3

Capitalism is the only system that is least susciptible to control by the rich capitalist. Otherwise, Bill Gates would not have come and so many others in IT industry. There are many many examples across the world of people who had very little to start with became famous by their contribution to creation of new technologies and new businesses to create new wealth, income and employment opprtunities for the people at large. The IT REVOLUTION HAS CREATED A WHOLE NEW CLASS OF NEW RICH BASED ON THEIUR HARD WORK, relevant skills and aptitudes other than inherited social and economic status.No other ststems has and is capable of doing so. All these other systems are oppressive, particularly throtlling individual enterprise and endeavour to innovate and create wealth and employment opprtunities for a large number of people across different sections of the society. Communism and Socialism is as much controlled by a few as Feudalism was, Capitalism is very difficult to be controlled by a few. In Capitalism, many hitherto people can become rich. In socialism and communism the same set of people in the ruling party or poltical system continue to be rich. Please study the actual history of Russia, India, Cuba, North Korea and China and contrat with the rich capitalists of USA and UK. In communism and Socialism social and economic exploitation and oppression is always hidden while in Capitalism such domination is always contested at the market place. Capitalist have the money power but money does not always succeedd and there are competing capitalists. Bu in socialism and commuism, brute muscle and political power rules and often in a f\ascists manner. Let us not glorify non-capitalistic systems that they are better than capitalism by hiding the true facts merely out of mu own frustration of having been weeded out as inefficient, incompetent and incapable in a capitalistic , competituive market system.

Answer 4

In capitalism you are fully free to do what you want with whatever few or large amount of money you make. And since there is no taxes, you have more money in your pockets.

TAXATION however is an authoritarian system which threatens with jail time and police harrasmment if you don't pay up.

The rich can evade taxation through sophisticated manoeuvers, the poor can evade taxation through low incomes. It's the hard working class that's being ripped off, NOT by capitalism but by TAXATION which takes away 40% of your earnings ( compounded average flat rate ).

In true Capitalism, you can buy and sell what you want, where you want and when you want. You could go to Canada to buy cheaper medications for example or you could buy a house together with 15 people so it won't be too expensive for you. In true Capitalism, people have choices and can get together to help themselves.

REGULATIONS however is an authoritarian system. You are forced to buy expensive medications in the USA instead of buying them from Canada. You cannot group together with many people to buy a house and split the costs.

TAXATION ripps you off and REGULATIONS forbids you to split or spread the costs.

So Government intervention is what makes Capitalism so bad. It's the government that ruined it up.

Answer 5

In my opinion, you are exactly right. Votes are manipulated by big business and advertising. Political campaigns aren't required by law to be honest when mud slinging and this unfairly manipulates the public into voting for things they don't really know the truth about.

Instead of mud slinging, I think all political candidates have to pass a background check the same as bus drivers, teachers and military personnell who have top secret clearance. No politician should be in office if they can't pass the back ground check.

Mud slinging or talking about the competition should not be legal. A politician running for office should only be allowed to talk about himself and his own qualifications, any mention of the competition is only a plug for the other side.

Political campaigns are modeled after capitalistic advertising and it is geared to deceive the public just as advertisements made to separated you from your money deceives us.

Our entire capitalistic system is corrupt with deception and it is made that way by the people who want more control...the people with lots of money and corporate power.

I think you hit the problem on the head.

Answer 6

You're seriously asserting that capitalism is "controlled by the few"????? That is by it's very nature what it's NOT. Wow...

We do have an "economic democracy." You do what you please with your own money (to the extent that it's not taxed away.)

Furthermore, companies aren't "democracies." They are run by their owners, for a reason. It's THEIR company.