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I'm pretty sure that good portion of the '99%' are doing a lot more than 'nothing'. But, getting back to the core, I think all of these capitalism vs communism
by ap22213 11y ago
I'm pretty sure that good portion of the '99%' are doing a lot more than 'nothing'.
But, getting back to the core, I think all of these capitalism vs communism juxtapositions distract us from looking at our collective goals. That is, we often put ideology in front of the desired effect.
Capitalism has succeeded in being a much, much better allocator of resources than large-scale central planning. I think most of us get that. Allowing capital to flow dynamically has allowed resources to flow to where there is most demand, and it has incentivized people to play the resource allocation game.
As a society, we have generally accepted some inequality in the process, as long as the system has generally benefited most people. Traditionally, in the west, this has been 'progress' - the optimism that one's quality of life and the quality of life of their descendants will get significantly better over time.
In countries that have adopted capitalism, it's been great, as long as per-capita grown rates have been high (say > 4% annually). But, when standards of living start to decrease over time, like they have started to over the last 30-40 years, people lose faith in the system. That, coupled with most economists predicting long-term global growth stagnation, it's time to think about novel new models that achieve social goals.
As hackers, I'm surprised that there has been so much focus in HN comments on dueling ideology. Where are the innovative minds that come up with new systems to replace the old ones?
- kuschku 11y agoThere is no need for a new system, or new concepts. The old European systems of Social Democracy already solved the issues. Give everyone a minimum standard of life, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity at improving themselves. Give everyone a second chance. If everyone has similar chances at getting quality education, at getting into good jobs, then people's status only depends on their own merit. For the American dream to work, we need a social market economy. Not just in the US, not just in Germany, but in every country we gave a free trade zone with.
- jqm 11y agoThe problems with the European Social Democracy model are becoming apparent even as we speak. It works really well with a small, homogenous, educated, basically peaceable population and assumes plentiful resources and that the population reproduces at a reasonable level. But much of the world does not live under those kind of conditions and national barriers are apparently very much an artificial construct. Would social democracy work in Iraq? In Somalia? But we share the same world as Iraq and Somalia. So what do we do? (real question... I don't know).