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Everybody knows that capitalism has problem. The trick is figuring out what the next better bad system would be. And as far as I can see the richest, smartest a

by erikb 9y ago

Everybody knows that capitalism has problem. The trick is figuring out what the next better bad system would be. And as far as I can see the richest, smartest and most powerful people are currenlty all thinking hard exactly about that question. So far nobody has found the answer, but suggestions are welcome.

smt88 9y ago
No one has a concrete answer, but capitalism could work better if the market were freer -- and by "freer" I don't mean less regulated. I mean that people have more freedom to make choices. For example, we don't currently have a free labor market because it's extremely expensive (in terms of time and money) for a low-wage worker to find a new job. Those people are trapped. If we had a better safety net for people at the bottom, the labor market could be more competitive. Another example is lacking knowledge. The market could (and should) stop buying products that harm them, but sometimes the only party who knows the product is harmful is the producer. Cigarettes were an example for a long time because the tobacco companies buried their own research. The government now forces health disclosures on cigarettes, which makes the market work like it's supposed to. There are tons of examples where a "socialist" policy actually leads to more personal freedom, more efficient markets, and less need for government intervention into individuals' decisions. (I would include universal basic income as a social policy, but it's actually not! It's supposed by both libertarians and socialists. It might be the "next better bad" adjustment to our current system.)
- sharemywin 9y ago
  The problem is if you're priced out of decent healthcare and/or education options it really doesn't matter how much extra spending money you got.
  - smt88 9y ago
    If you're arguing that health care and education should be free, then I agree with you. If I were running a society, my goal would be an even playing field. Everyone has the same access to health care, education, and any other opportunity that affects their happiness. Beyond that, they would have the choice to pursue whatever they wanted. My society could not exist now, nor could it exist in the past. Miserable, oppressed people were required to support everyone else (e.g. coal miners). We're getting to a point in history where that may change. Robots might be able to do all the bad, boring, dangerous jobs. Basically Wall-E.
antisthenes 9y ago
Anonymity of elected officials.

by erikb 9y ago

smt88 9y ago

No one has a concrete answer, but capitalism could work better if the market were freer -- and by "freer" I don't mean less regulated. I mean that people have more freedom to make choices. For example, we don't currently have a free labor market because it's extremely expensive (in terms of time and money) for a low-wage worker to find a new job. Those people are trapped. If we had a better safety net for people at the bottom, the labor market could be more competitive. Another example is lacking knowledge. The market could (and should) stop buying products that harm them, but sometimes the only party who knows the product is harmful is the producer. Cigarettes were an example for a long time because the tobacco companies buried their own research. The government now forces health disclosures on cigarettes, which makes the market work like it's supposed to. There are tons of examples where a "socialist" policy actually leads to more personal freedom, more efficient markets, and less need for government intervention into individuals' decisions. (I would include universal basic income as a social policy, but it's actually not! It's supposed by both libertarians and socialists. It might be the "next better bad" adjustment to our current system.)

sharemywin 9y ago
The problem is if you're priced out of decent healthcare and/or education options it really doesn't matter how much extra spending money you got.
- smt88 9y ago
  If you're arguing that health care and education should be free, then I agree with you. If I were running a society, my goal would be an even playing field. Everyone has the same access to health care, education, and any other opportunity that affects their happiness. Beyond that, they would have the choice to pursue whatever they wanted. My society could not exist now, nor could it exist in the past. Miserable, oppressed people were required to support everyone else (e.g. coal miners). We're getting to a point in history where that may change. Robots might be able to do all the bad, boring, dangerous jobs. Basically Wall-E.

antisthenes 9y ago

Anonymity of elected officials.