3 ms·

yes, for one thing German companies can and do purchase and operate US subsidiaries without much government interference, unlike in China

oblio 6y ago
I find the irony of your comment quite funny. I'm assuming the previous comment about "core Western values" wasn't referring to "unfettered capitalism" but to stuff like "democracy", "respect of human rights", ... :-)
- hajile 6y ago
  Capitalism is fundamentally as flawed as people are -- but it beats everything else by a huge margin. If you're going to parse hairs, democracy is inherently NOT a "western value". Alexander Hamilton went on at great length in the early federalist papers about the fate of democracies. All failed rather quickly. We formed a republic with democratic elements BECAUSE direct democracy is so tyrannical and doesn't protect minority groups leading to it's downfall. Despite all the complaints, I'd love to see a country throughout history with better treatment of minorities. That country just doesn't exist and countries making things better for minorities over time was even less known at the USA founding. Finally, foreign affairs are much closer to anarcho-capitalism than anything which implies that anarcho-capitalism is the most free one could theoretically be (though the immediate fall into despotism would make the short-lived freedom of little value).
  - someguydave 6y ago
    Indeed, the biggest threat to the respecting minorities (also known as rule of law) in the US today are people and institutions spouting overheated rhetoric, implying that the US regime is just as bad as China's with respect to human rights. This supposed lack of justice is then used as justification for destroying those institutions which do stand for rule of law in the US. In that way, those focused on this supposed lack of justice manifest their own fears.

3 ms·

yes, for one thing German companies can and do purchase and operate US subsidiaries without much government interference, unlike in China

by someguydave 6y ago

oblio 6y ago
I find the irony of your comment quite funny. I'm assuming the previous comment about "core Western values" wasn't referring to "unfettered capitalism" but to stuff like "democracy", "respect of human rights", ... :-)
- hajile 6y ago
  Capitalism is fundamentally as flawed as people are -- but it beats everything else by a huge margin. If you're going to parse hairs, democracy is inherently NOT a "western value". Alexander Hamilton went on at great length in the early federalist papers about the fate of democracies. All failed rather quickly. We formed a republic with democratic elements BECAUSE direct democracy is so tyrannical and doesn't protect minority groups leading to it's downfall. Despite all the complaints, I'd love to see a country throughout history with better treatment of minorities. That country just doesn't exist and countries making things better for minorities over time was even less known at the USA founding. Finally, foreign affairs are much closer to anarcho-capitalism than anything which implies that anarcho-capitalism is the most free one could theoretically be (though the immediate fall into despotism would make the short-lived freedom of little value).
  - someguydave 6y ago
    Indeed, the biggest threat to the respecting minorities (also known as rule of law) in the US today are people and institutions spouting overheated rhetoric, implying that the US regime is just as bad as China's with respect to human rights. This supposed lack of justice is then used as justification for destroying those institutions which do stand for rule of law in the US. In that way, those focused on this supposed lack of justice manifest their own fears.