Saturday, October 14, 2023

Socialism Vs Capitalism

 As I'm leaving for the weekend and don't have time to write anything, I'd like to highlight this post by Mark Moncrieff:

 Liberalism puts forward the idea that we must choose between two extremes, if you don't support free speech then you support all speech being controlled. If you don't support free trade then you don't believe in trade. The choice between Capitalism and Socialism is one of those extreme positions, because like most people I actually think that a good economy has a bit of both, but not too much of either.

 

7 comments:

  1. Most people don't know the definition of socialism which means according to most dictionaries is where the government owns the capital such as land and equipment to provide a good or service. However, it does not say how it is paid for which is always the problem. In America, public schools and universities, public transport, the potable water and sewer systems, the local landfill, and even state roads are technically socialism. Given how the education system works or doesn't, I would not want the government owning anything of healthcare though it is heavily government controlled here in the thanks to rent seeking insurance companies and the politicians who take their money.

    I've been watching the Youtube channel 'The Ushanka Show' about life in the totally communist Soviet Union. What misery! Even the poorest here in America in years past had some sort of car and fuel was available 24/7 as long as you could pay for it. Poor people also had a TV and air conditioning in many cases and maybe even a modest home that they owned even if it was on the ghetto side of town. Anyway, I'd rather be poor in America than almost anywhere else in the world. I've watched some documentaries, so I can't say being poor in Europe is something I would want to do either.

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  2. Texan, I watched docus about poor Americans living in their cars. At least our poor live in houses and can afford going to a doctor. You see, two can play this game:)

    As for schools. Funny, I have just been thinking about it this morning. While liberals destroy schools, conservatives often say there should be no government schools at all. Are you sure that's the answer? Because in this case, many parents simply won't give their children any kind of (decent) education, which in turn, will ensure that none of these children will have any important position when they grow up and most won't be able to find a decent job, either.

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    1. Yes, I'm well aware of the Americans in my country living out of their cars while having a full time job in some parts of the country. It's a disgrace, but so are the poor Britains paying by the hour for electricity or the German EMT I saw only making 1200 Euros before taxes. Both sides of the Atlantic have problems, most of which stem from a greedy elite manipulating a corrupt monetary system and too high of taxes on incomes.

      I would wager that most Americans in the past were always better off than the Europeans in a number of ways. Again, there are problems stemming from government policies. My first job out of university as an engineer I paid $12k in total tax liability (city, county, state, federal) on a $42k salary. This is in 1999 when gas was $1 per gallon in most places.

      The problem with the healthcare in America is because of government intervention in what no longer is much of a free market. There is a hospital in Oklahoma that takes only cash payments and no insurance of any kind for various types of common surgeries. Their cost are several times lower than the surrounding area hospitals for similar procedures.

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  3. How much would it cost to pay for a chemo or open heart operation out of the pocket? The costs of running modern hospitals are prohibitive, and, of course, the doctor wants to earn money, too. The insurance companies don't make the situation any better, certainly.

    As for your other point, after WWII the whole of Europe was in ruins while the USA made lots of money during it and then the dollar became the reserve currency. Of course, you guys were wealthier.

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    1. America should have stayed out of WWII. Nothing good came from America's participation. And curious how Hitler made peace offers before and during the war, but none were considered. Funny that the (((Bolsheviks))) ended up with half of Eastern Europe for almost 50 years. Ah, the things we are not told in history class whether America or elsewhere.

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