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Capitalism often means different things to different people and it's often to an authors rhetorical benefit to leave it so. When people say capitalism they typ

by JackFr 9y ago

Capitalism often means different things to different people and it's often to an authors rhetorical benefit to leave it so. When people say capitalism they typically mean one or more of the following: * Free markets * Free trade * Private ownership of the factors of production * A form of economic organization characterized by tradable claims of ownership, & ownership separate from management. * A form of economic organization where the primary driver of the firm is profit. * A counterpoint to socialism. * A counterpoint to centrally planned/managed economies. By never being clear about what one means, and just saying 'capitalism' a skilled rhetorician can convince you one thing is good (or bad) and then lump others in as part and parcel. As you point out profit seeking businesses do not like free markets.

dvdhnt 9y ago
> Capitalism often means different things to different people and it's often to an authors rhetorical benefit to leave it so. Sure, some, but if every author accepted this as immutable, we can never progress. The issue is that when you have two separate ideals, each with their own qualities, allowing them to become synonymous provides a defense for the lesser ideal in the name of the better. So, it makes it easy for bankers and capitalists to defend their actions in the name of a free market!
- SaltyBackendGuy 9y ago
  The real problem is that we don't have a free market. Businesses strategies are too often to lobby for favorable legislation to sink their competition rather than make a better product and let the market decide.
  - smallnamespace 9y ago
    You can view the political arena as a sort of market as well -- there's horse trading, money, people lobby and and trade for access. Except one part of society (corporations) use this market to the hilt, while the rest of society largely abstains or is unable to participate in this market.
  - BatFastard 9y ago
    And indeed there are many ways to do just that, regulations, licensing, patents.

by JackFr 9y ago

dvdhnt 9y ago

> Capitalism often means different things to different people and it's often to an authors rhetorical benefit to leave it so. Sure, some, but if every author accepted this as immutable, we can never progress. The issue is that when you have two separate ideals, each with their own qualities, allowing them to become synonymous provides a defense for the lesser ideal in the name of the better. So, it makes it easy for bankers and capitalists to defend their actions in the name of a free market!

SaltyBackendGuy 9y ago
The real problem is that we don't have a free market. Businesses strategies are too often to lobby for favorable legislation to sink their competition rather than make a better product and let the market decide.
- smallnamespace 9y ago
  You can view the political arena as a sort of market as well -- there's horse trading, money, people lobby and and trade for access. Except one part of society (corporations) use this market to the hilt, while the rest of society largely abstains or is unable to participate in this market.
- BatFastard 9y ago
  And indeed there are many ways to do just that, regulations, licensing, patents.