The Evils of Capitalism – Sacrifice Zones

“This is what unregulated capitalism does and will always do without the strong hand of the government (aka the people) to limit its excesses”

Arb, where’ve you been the past 50 years?! The government hasn’t been “the people” for at least that long – it’s been corporate interests. “Aka the people”, I wish. ;)

“The idea that unfettered, unregulated capitalism is a good thing…”
You implicitly suggest that a majority of capitalists think this way and yet in reality I would say that it’s an extremely small minority that actually do (and a hypocritical minority at that). Proof – have you seen guys like Ron Paul get any actual bills passed, or even get elected beyond Congress for that matter?

In contrast, I’d suggest going over to sites like “The Rational Republican” (http://www.therationalrepublican.com) and listening to the “capitalist” conversations there, specifically what they attribute most of the economy’s problems to (not just the financial meltdown but basically any other bubble that we’ve had), and hear how many times “bring back Glass Steagall” is mentioned.

This is what “fair share” liberals just can’t seem to understand. Capitalists are the first to understand that capitalism needs laws, currency, infrastructure, and regulation/enforcement to function efficiently, and they understand it better than “fair share” liberals do because unlike these liberals capitalists have to deal with the math of these things as well.

Laws are not their problem, nor are any of those things. It’s poor laws, weak currency, shoddy infrastructure, and either overbearing regulation or underbearing regulation that is hated – distinctions which your side refuses to make because it then involves getting to the hard math on an issue and the realization that it’s more capitalist ideas that are keeping states and countries afloat right now than socialist ones.

If your belief about business in America was even remotely true, then you wouldn’t see all these capitalists asking for regulation to be brought back, and yet the reality is that in many cases it is, and yet how’d it get taken away in the first place? Simple – “your people” were asleep at the wheel so “their people” (big business) took advantage of their apathy and ignorance and the rest of us got stuck in the middle.

On the one hand you government-lovers loathe big business’s influence on government, and yet on the other hand you hold up and cherish a government that is full of it – big business cronyism – and worse, you want to instantly give it more power!

I’m not for unfettered capitalism, but in my opinion we should try it for the next few years. Perhaps it would give everybody a wake up call as to first what their own responsibility is towards a government and second what the government’s responsibility is towards them. Government is simply a reflection of its voting public, and if the voting public is bloated, lazy, apathetic, materialistic, and ignorant, that’s exactly the kind of government they’re going to get which is exactly the kind of government they have. Nature punishes animals who choose to live like that, so it only makes sense that just as in nature, this situation would be quickly be exploited by those who are faster, smarter, stronger, and think further ahead.

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“Afloat in what?
How about more fiscal balance, for starters? Compare the usual contenders in the debate, California and Texas. California’s just about to have its what, third city go bankrupt? Yeah, a bankrupt city – that’s a job creator! Gotta keep those 6 figure pensions funded for people only 8 months on the job, right? http://rt.com/usa/news/california-bankrupt-taxpayers-pensions-874/
Quote: “Former Stockton Police Chief Tom Morris retired with a $204,000 pension after just eight months on the job. While his California city became the largest in the US to file for bankruptcy, he moved to another city and makes an additional $76,066 salary at a new job.”

And how about jobs? California’s got some of the most taxes and highest taxes in the land which are sending citizens and businesses away in droves. Good job creation strategy there. Hike taxes up to pay in part for a 68b high-speed rail line to nowhere while still running a $7.5b deficit, because after all, high-speed rail is good for the environment.

While local California governments continue to pay six-figure lifetime benefits for some retirees, they are slashing local police and fire services to make up for the costs. They are also cutting library hours and other public services to keep up with the payments.

Texas may not be the shining star of social services in the country, but at least they’ll be a State more in a position to offer some if California keeps going the rate it’s going.

“Holy-crap you’re like totally reading my mind! Stop mischaracterizing my views and positions with your interpretations. Jeezus-frak, if you want to argue against opponents you make up, why are you here?
You’re accusing me of making up opponents? Show me who really advocates “unfettered and unregulated” capitalism in this country. All businesses, or just big businesses? If big businesses, then tell me what percentage of the Fortune 500 actually do so, or perhaps you’ve just got the big banks in mind? For one they’re not arguing for no regulation, and for another what they’re doing isn’t capitalism because government still socializes their losses.

So by a “strong hand”, I guess I don’t see what you mean. Tougher laws? Like Obama’s enacted so far in the energy sector, or the financial sector, or in regards to transparency, or limiting lobbying and special interests? .

And you expect miracles from these mushrooms that are fed crap and raised in the dark?”
I don’t argue that we’re fed crap a lot of times, but we’re “raised in the dark”? Seriously, Arb? People have more options today than ever before to get informed about their politicians and politics in general, so if they’re in the dark, they own that themselves. Is someone supposed to be spoon-feeding people facts somewhere?

“You crap hard on movements like Occupy that serve a as a means of breaking though the constructed consciousness so people can start to wake up.
No, I “crap” on Occupy because they got outclassed, outmaneuvered, outvoted, and all-in-all completely outdone by the “The Tea Party”, (aka the largest and longest Ted Nugent concert ever). Occupy wasted something that should have been potentially huge and paradigm-shifting, and turned whatever was righteous in their cause into a complete and utter twinkly-fingered joke. “Breaking through the constructed consciousness?” That would require some strength, and as far as that goes Occupy couldn’t break through a wet paper bag.

“How the sun-marinated-gopher droppings does the current government reflect the public?”
Exactly! So why do you call government “the people” then? Unless you were being sarcastic?

Sorry to be so on the attack, but this “strong hand” stuff just sounds like more of the same class warfare garbage that polarizes and puts false enemies on both sides of the issue while both industry and government stand arm-in-arm in the middle and just laugh their asses off at the arguments we have.

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