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Capitalism is nothing more than the free exchange among willing parties and cannot be objectively bad. If Boeing can put out faulty products that kill people w

Capitalism is nothing more than the free exchange among willing parties and cannot be objectively bad. If Boeing can put out faulty products that kill people will no recourse, that's not capitalism, that's the government allowing these criminals to continue operating unchecked.

throwanem 7y ago
It's a poor definition of capitalism that equally well describes barter and gift economy.
freeopinion 7y ago
That's also consumers accepting the risk and agreeing to pay for a flight. Here's a quick thought experiment in capitalism: Two relatively new Boeing 737-MAX airplanes crash in relatively quick succession. A critical flaw in the aircraft is exposed to the public. Significant numbers of people refuse to fly in a 737-MAX. Southwest made a substantial investment in 737-MAX airplanes, and cannot make their money back. They approach Boeing and Boeing gives them a 75% discount on a 737-MAX replacement. Or, Boeing shrugs their shoulders and says, "huh". Southwest cancels all future orders with Boeing and buys Airbus. Or, Boeing waves their hands and says, "We fixed everything. The 737-MAX is perfectly safe now." The next week, Southwest relaunches their fleet and books 100% occupancy. They negotiate with Boeing about the $millions lost while the fleet was grounded and get back to business as usual. For the next 5 years, a 737-MAX crashes every year killing everyone aboard, but bookings stay high. All ticket prices go up $25 to fund the payouts to crash victims. Bookings stay high. Business continues as usual. See all the very different directions capitalism can take you? I continually struggle to understand the mindset where all blame goes to the government and there is no individual responsibility for consumer choices. We've seen it over and over with Wells Fargo, GM, Facebook, and the list goes on. Government can serve a meaningful purpose in the regulation of capitalism. But also, capitalism can and must serve a critical role in the regulation of capitalism.

throwanem 7y ago

It's a poor definition of capitalism that equally well describes barter and gift economy.

freeopinion 7y ago

That's also consumers accepting the risk and agreeing to pay for a flight. Here's a quick thought experiment in capitalism: Two relatively new Boeing 737-MAX airplanes crash in relatively quick succession. A critical flaw in the aircraft is exposed to the public. Significant numbers of people refuse to fly in a 737-MAX. Southwest made a substantial investment in 737-MAX airplanes, and cannot make their money back. They approach Boeing and Boeing gives them a 75% discount on a 737-MAX replacement. Or, Boeing shrugs their shoulders and says, "huh". Southwest cancels all future orders with Boeing and buys Airbus. Or, Boeing waves their hands and says, "We fixed everything. The 737-MAX is perfectly safe now." The next week, Southwest relaunches their fleet and books 100% occupancy. They negotiate with Boeing about the $millions lost while the fleet was grounded and get back to business as usual. For the next 5 years, a 737-MAX crashes every year killing everyone aboard, but bookings stay high. All ticket prices go up $25 to fund the payouts to crash victims. Bookings stay high. Business continues as usual. See all the very different directions capitalism can take you? I continually struggle to understand the mindset where all blame goes to the government and there is no individual responsibility for consumer choices. We've seen it over and over with Wells Fargo, GM, Facebook, and the list goes on. Government can serve a meaningful purpose in the regulation of capitalism. But also, capitalism can and must serve a critical role in the regulation of capitalism.