Thread: Capitalism is Dead; Long Live "Capitalism".

No one knows when free-market capitalism died in America, but the stench of its rotting corpse is rank. While every nation requires economic law to protect the rights of the citizenry, every economy needs liberty if it is to grow. Federal regulation of our economy has been steadily increasing over the years and the results have been disastrous. We’ve failed to find a feasible balance between free-market capitalism and Democratic Government. Over the coming years we will continue to hear a slew of words meant to qualify the kind of capitalism we practice: Democratic Capitalism and Social Democratic Capitalism are most likely the ones we’ll hear the most.

Sadly, Democracy and “Social Democracy� (the lightest form of Democratic Socialism) are the problem. Freedom, Self-Reliance, and Personal Responsibility are the cure. Our politicians seem surprised that Americans feel uneasy about the government stepping in to save them from economic collapse. Even with all the fear mongering, the trillions in lost capital, the devastated retirement accounts, and the threat of a global collapse of our financial infrastructure, the people seem to understand instinctively that their freedom hangs in the balance. There are those who would rather see the global economy collapse than usher in an era of global government and an end to the last vestiges of free-market capitalism. To these courageous few, I offer up my thanks, even if gratitude is the only reward any of us will receive.

Free-market capitalism can survive so long as the people possess the virtues necessary to sustain it. Is there anyone willing to argue that Western Civilization still possesses the virtues of self-reliance and personal responsibility? I don’t think so. As individuals become less and less capable of self-reliance and personal responsibility, they become more and more susceptible to fear and insecurity. Fear and insecurity cry out for protection and the world’s governments are listening, stepping up and stepping in to provide security. Security, however, comes at the cost of liberty. Which is why we must either stand up to our government and demand the insecurity of liberty, taking responsibility for that insecurity by demonstrating our self-reliance and our ability to survive peacefully and cooperatively; or place ourselves under the authority of government, surrendering to dependence and accepting our role as subjects of a ruling elite.

Bereft of self-reliance, the people may have no choice but to surrender the last of their claims on liberty. Insofar as we retain our democracy we will still have a say in how we are governed, but we will no longer be truly free. Instead, we shall be yoked together as a nation, forced to invest in and protect each other. Individualism will perish. Liberty will pass away. Security will set in. Just remember, whoever provides the people with security will have power and authority over the people. Provide your own security and you will be free. Receive your security from government and you will be subject to government. That is our choice. We may have already made our choice and will be forced to spend the coming decades coming to terms with why we have made it.

:laughing: And yet you accuse us of fearmongering. This recession is merely one in a long list of economic ups and downs. The problem is lack of regulation - if you let banks run off on their own without any limits then they cause problems. Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it.

If it weren't for social democracy workers would not have any rights, and the rich would dominate the lower classes even more than they do now. Fuck purist capitalism, it only benfits a small percent of the population and disregards the rest.

Originally Posted by Burning Giraffe

Security, however, comes at the cost of liberty. Which is why we must either stand up to our government and demand the insecurity of liberty, taking responsibility for that insecurity by demonstrating our self-reliance and our ability to survive peacefully and cooperatively; or place ourselves under the authority of government, surrendering to dependence and accepting our role as subjects of a ruling elite.

The bolded part above, goes AGAINST human nature, for a lot of people.

AND, you will always have those kinds of people, just as you will always have self-reliant enterpreneurs.

George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, saw where this equation was going, because, in a world in which the sheeple "rule", free-thinkers are outcasts and even become dangerous to the continued welfare of the State.

And the extreme form of that concept, would be the Borg Collective - the "hive", as it were.

The conditions of a solitary bird are five: First, that it flies to the highest point. Second, that it does not seek after company, not even its own kind. Third, that it aims its beak to the wind. Fourth, that it has no definite color. Fifth, that it sings very sweetly. (John of the Cross: Sayings of Light and Love)

Originally Posted by Burning Giraffe

Sadly, Democracy and “Social Democracy� (the lightest form of Democratic Socialism) are the problem. Freedom, Self-Reliance, and Personal Responsibility are the cure. Our politicians seem surprised that Americans feel uneasy about the government stepping in to save them from economic collapse. Even with all the fear mongering, the trillions in lost capital, the devastated retirement accounts, and the threat of a global collapse of our financial infrastructure, the people seem to understand instinctively that their freedom hangs in the balance. There are those who would rather see the global economy collapse than usher in an era of global government and an end to the last vestiges of free-market capitalism. To these courageous few, I offer up my thanks, even if gratitude is the only reward any of us will receive.

I am one who has opposed this bailout almost from the start, although I was kind of in shock for a couple days, then common sense took over. Many of us on the left are very much against this scam.

When you say "personal responsibility", are you talking about individuals or institutions? If you think individuals are actually going to benefit from this, you are wrong. Their crummy loans for their overpriced houses will be extended after much paperwork and scrutiny. The lending institutions will simply have all their greedy mistakes erased from the books so they can continue to make more loans and to profit from those. Nothing was added to the bill to prevent this from happening again that I could tell, and whatever regulation was put in this bill will likely not be eforced.

The sad little stories of the car lots who will go out of business and the small businesses who can't get a loan are a bunch of bullshit, IMO. This "Economic Rescue Plan" wasn't designed to do anything other than keep the stock market and the housing market as overinflated as pssible so the big money won't leave the country, although I can't figure out why we should care, as this money never does anything other than get passed around in a big fucking circle with anyone who touches charging a fee to the next guy he hands it too. That's not wealth creation, it's gang rape with benefits.

What you fail to understand is that the little guy is being used as an excuse to prop up the big guys with the little guy's money.

It's socialism for capital lending institutions and Wall Street, not people.