OT: Somewhat, I don't like all the values that are in it, but I like some. Pretty much I like a mix of both Capitalism and Socialism for economic practices.
My dad's side is actually originally from Scandinavia, until they came to the U.S and lived in Wyoming about 100 or so years ago. My great-great-grandfather was from Sweden and my great-great-grandmother was from Norway. So who am I supposed to side with in the rivalry?
I prefer a leftist command economy (preferably Socialism).
People point at stats of quality of life in command economies and say that they have less wealth per capita as their "proof" that capitalism generates more wealth. What they are failing to realize is that it isn't the command economy that caused the nation to be poor, but the poverty of the nation that caused them to move to a Socialist economy. Indeed, command economies have really shown nothing but success historically. The Soviet Union, despite its social failings, economically went from being one of the most backwards feudal societies in the world to being a major power that competed with every other major power for 50 years before it collapsed- largely due to the aforementioned social, non-economic, failings (such as a right to free speech not being guaranteed).
Of the top 17 most literate nations in the world, only one of them isn't a Soviet bloc nation. That nation is Cuba. Another interesting thing about Cuba is that it has the highest doctor to patient ratio in the world, and has, by distributing the wealth of the nation previously held by a few, eliminated the rampant starvation and poverty present before the command economy. For the last several decades, they have had to do this while undergoing a crippling economic boycott by the most powerful nation in the world.
Capitalism has definitely served a purpose. Coming out of feudalism, where science and discovery were discouraged, the motive of profit made innovation something to strive for. However, innovation is already a cherished idea in our society, and the command market will not damage that innovation that already exists. Proof of this is that the Soviet Union won the space race*.
I suppose though, it boils down to this. Do you prefer a system that works exceedingly well for a very small percentage of the population, and poorly for the rest, with a small chance of becoming one of the few that it works exceedingly well for; or do you prefer a system that works reasonably well for everyone and in which everyone strives together for mutual, not personal, advancement? I prefer the latter, which is why I am a Socialist.
While many would say that America won the space race, that is inaccurate. Surely, America won the moon race, but the space race was firmly commanded by the Soviets.
Soviet Union:
First unmanned craft in space
First satellite in orbit
First manned craft in space
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