1. It's arguable whether governments are controlled by corporations, or corporations control governments, or indeed whether the whole thing as a grotesque, paranoid oversimplification of people who do not have power wishing to imagine there is some sort of vast conspiracy of those with power, when in fact it may well be genuinely just a bunch of individuals who happen to think in a similar fashion, because that's how humans are. Then again, I could be wrong.Rooster Cogburn said:Thanks hebdomad. But the East India Company was a blatant example of government thuggery- it was a government monopoly, not a free market phenomenon. Black Water is employed by the government, and the entire oil industry is controlled by governments directly. If this is capitalism, its the non-free, fascist sort. There is no 'free market' at work here. And again with market crashes and bailouts- the former is probably possible on a free market, but in our time it is the result of governments acting at the behest of their corporate backers.hebdomad said:^for once, some one who knows what their on about^
Firstly I'd like to say that Communism does not work. Boys and girls, the cold war is over, forget that socialism is evil propaganda.
Unfortunately capitalism however has it's ugly side call monopoly, and mega corporations. Great example of a mega corporations is the 'East India Corporation'. They had their own personal army that rivalled that of many nations. Today, you've just got to look at the Black Water corporation, and Shell Oil.
And for your 'freedom loving, Capitalist loving Americans' Monopoly was one of the reason the American war of independence started.
Capitalism has another weak point, and that is that capitalism needs growth to survive. If it stops growing, people go out of work and stave. Economic crisis anyone? These mega corporations are controlling so much, when they hit the wall out of greed, allot of innocent people get hurt, and end up paying for their mistakes (government bailouts), because without them, nobody gets paid.
What we need (the west) is a hybrid between the two. Government should provide free health care, defence, education, law enforcement, and build and maintain infrastructure of a nation. Voting (taking part in democracy) should be compulsory. Everyone should have a say 18+.
Censorship and copyright should also go to hell. Freedom of information! (information should be free!)
Oh, and "capitalism" does not mean "America" ... people, China is a capitalist nation now... and considering their government owns just about everything there, that's some scary S***
In my opinion, you are submitting the problem as a solution to itself. I think we need a free market. My answer is always to get the government out of the market so the little guy can have a chance, for once. Often, you can't even open a business of any sort without government permission. The rich and their corporations buy politicians to run the government for their benefit. You can't solve that by expanding the government. And fuck compulsory voting. That would truly be a crime. I mean, I don't vote as a matter of principle. Are you going to point a gun at me? You personally?
Amen to censorship and copyright, though!
2. Market Crashes are inherent to capitalism. They've been with us since we started trading, and the only way to dipose of them is to move onto the command economy (which is so grossly inefficent that even the worst effects of a crash are a paradise compared to it.)
3. You misspelt 'facist'. The 'c' comes before the 's', and so on.