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Over the past several years I have come across quite a few anti-capitalists and I have come to the conclusion that anti-capitalists are quite frankly really dumb and naive.
Now, although I am an abrasive person both in real-life and online, I do tend to give people the benefit of a doubt. I accept that it is possible for two rational, intelligent, informed and well-meaning people to have completely opposing views.
However, given the quality of the arguments and the willful ignorance of history; I have to say that anti-capitalists are genuinely stupid.
Basically anti-capitalists blame all the world's problems on Capitalism. Poverty? Capitalism. Pollution? Capitalism. Corruption? Capitalism. Contagious disease? Capitalism. Obesity? Capitalism. War? Capitalism. Their wife cheated and gave them genital warts? Capitalism.
Capitalism has become a vague stand-in for all that is wrong with the world. They never take into account that poverty is the natural state of man. That we originally lived in small bands rarely exceeding 30 people and although some people did live into their 80s during the Paleolithic era; few made it into their 30s. Arguably, the first examples of capitalism practiced by humans is when the first men realized they could do favors or make basic goods in exchange for other favors or basic goods.
They blame pollution on capitalism as well. While ignoring the fact that virtually all modern human activity comes at some cost to the environment and that it is not tied to economic system. The East Bloc was a hotbed of environmental destruction that is easily on par with even the most amoral businessman. Oil spills, smog, acid rain, improper disposal of toxic waste, extinction of endangered species, deforestation, soil erosion, and so on were widespread among the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact nations. Look up how the demands the Soviet economic planners to turn the Central Asian Republics into a cotton belt has almost destroyed the Aral Sea. As a matter of fact, the Aral Sea probably will not be around in 20 years time. You see, the Communists actually saw Environmentalism as a bourgeois extravagance and held it in low regard. Sometimes it seems that they trashed pristine wilderness for the purpose of national greatness (like building massive dams named after Lenin on small rivers) with no regard to any economic utility.
Actually, there was one group of Communists who took a very environmentally friendly approach. They eschewed artificial fertilizers and the internal combustion engine. They also believed that people needed to get back to nature. They were called the "Khmer Rouge" and the killed about a quarter of Cambodia's population.
The treatment of workers is another criticism of capitalism that anti-capitalists just love. Once again, look at how the most anti-capitalist nations have treated their workers. The truth is that Communist nations saw their workforce as an expendable resource to be used in building of Communism and hundreds of thousands died on the job and many of those could have been prevented. Party officials made sure that they were safe and not subject to the conditions of the hoi polloi. Like when the reactor at Chernobyl suffered a catastrophic meltdown; the Communist Party officials were quietly evacuated out of the city and kept the disaster a secret for days. Actually many people in Pripyat and the surrounding areas only found out when they heard news reports from foreign radio stations alerting them to a massive spike in radiation.
And then there is racism. Racism and cultural imperialism are capitalist inventions, don't ya know? Unfortunately, Communists are at least as racist and culturally imperialistic. In the early days of Communism Friedrich Engels realized that according to Dialectical Materialism for a people to be able to transition over Socialism (and eventually Communism) they have to have at least attained Capitalism. However, there are peoples who have not yet reached Capitalism or even Feudalism and what is to be done about them? Engels recommended extermination for these people. Hundreds of millions of people like the Czechs, the Southern Slavs, the Gypsies, Native Americans, Africans, and so on would need to go. Not out of racism per se (although he did use the term "racial trash" to describe them), but rather that they were obsolete and of no use in the modern world and should be eliminated to make room for people who are compatible with Socialism.
I know some people might say, "Just because I am anti-capitalist doesn't mean that I am a Communist". That is all well and good, but what are your alternatives? Because the only alternatives I see are either a planned economy, a corporatist economy, or reverting back to being hunter-gatherers.
It's not perfect but it's the one system that seems to work well for the majority of the people, rewards people who want to work hard and gives opportunity for the small independent self employed person.
Communism and Socialism gives people few rewards, eliminates freedoms and destroys individual incentives. If you don't like your freedoms and believe big Govt is the answer this is the systems you'd like. China has made it work because they suppress the individual.
It's not perfect but it's the one system that seems to work well for the majority of the people, rewards people who want to work hard and gives opportunity for the small independent self employed person.
Communism and Socialism gives people few rewards, eliminates freedoms and destroys individual incentives. If you don't like your freedoms and believe big Govt is the answer this is the systems you'd like. China has made it work because they suppress the individual.
Also if it hadn't been for capitalism to keep their country growing it would have gone the way of Cuba, North Korea or Soviet Union.
What about democratic-socialism in Scandinavia, Germany, and France.
All of these countries wallop the US in various QOL measures including freedom of the press, gender equality, and other minority rights issues (gay marriage etc).
What about democratic-socialism in Scandinavia, Germany, and France.
All of these countries wallop the US in various QOL measures including freedom of the press, gender equality, and other minority rights issues (gay marriage etc).
Those countries are still dominated by the private sector. Especially Germany.
What about democratic-socialism in Scandinavia, Germany, and France.
All of these countries wallop the US in various QOL measures including freedom of the press, gender equality, and other minority rights issues (gay marriage etc).
Denmark, Norway, Germany, etc all rank very highly on the freedom index so I'm not sure what your are talking about. They are capitalist countries.
If you want to look at socialist countries, try Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela.
Over the past several years I have come across quite a few anti-capitalists and I have come to the conclusion that anti-capitalists are quite frankly really dumb and naive.
Many anti-capitalists are ignorant due to lack of education and they fall for popular political rhetoric about the rich. Politicians like Obama mold them like play dough. Others are just jealous of the people who have more than them. And then there are some who are just plain selfish and want to spend and control other people's money.
Capitalism, it's the worst economic system in the world...except for all of the other ones.
Until someone comes up with a better system, stick with the Capitalist model which is a proven most effective system...all others have failed miserably in comparison.
Thanks to leftist progressives and socialist liberals who have infested the government. See Regulation Nation.
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