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He calls "corruption" "one of the worst parts of capitalism". Maybe I should have paid more attention in class and less to Civilization, but I did think that co

He calls "corruption" "one of the worst parts of capitalism". Maybe I should have paid more attention in class and less to Civilization, but I did think that corruption was not generally seen as much of a problem with capitalism as more centralized economic systems. Corruption is always a problem everywhere, but it would seem to get worse with greater centralization of control.

DasIch 5y ago
Capitalism and centralization of control are not incompatible. The entire point of platforms is to centralize control up to the point of having full control over proprietary markets like Apple with it's App Store.
koheripbal 5y ago
I haven't ever seen a more glaring example of corruption as the Soviet black markets for food in the 1980s. By the late 1980s, Soviet price controls and centralized distribution rules, incentivized black market growth by providing opportunity for tremendous profit. Ultimately, it overtook the regular gov't markets - resulting in the famous empty shelves we iconically associate with the collapse of the USSR. Most gov't officials participated in these black markets. This also led to massive organized crime groups, which became so profitable, that they became the oligarchs who ultimately took over the country when the gov't collapsed from bankruptcy. The notion that capitalism creates corruption is laughable with these massive recent examples.
- adventured 5y ago
  > The notion that capitalism creates corruption is laughable with these massive recent examples. The most corrupt nations throughout modern history have always been on the Socialist spectrum, without exception. Including National Socialist Germany, Communist Cuba, Communist China, Communist Vietnam, Socialist Iraq, Communist North Korea, Theocratic-Socialist Iran, Socialist Syria, Socialist Zimbabwe, Socialist Venezuela as well as Soviet Russia, all of which were/are Socialist derivatives.
  - throwanident 5y ago
    The Nazis were about as socialist as the DPRK is democratic. Next thing you'll say is that Somalia, South Sudan, Congo, Haiti and Afghanistan are all socialist too!

DasIch 5y ago

Capitalism and centralization of control are not incompatible. The entire point of platforms is to centralize control up to the point of having full control over proprietary markets like Apple with it's App Store.

koheripbal 5y ago

I haven't ever seen a more glaring example of corruption as the Soviet black markets for food in the 1980s. By the late 1980s, Soviet price controls and centralized distribution rules, incentivized black market growth by providing opportunity for tremendous profit. Ultimately, it overtook the regular gov't markets - resulting in the famous empty shelves we iconically associate with the collapse of the USSR. Most gov't officials participated in these black markets. This also led to massive organized crime groups, which became so profitable, that they became the oligarchs who ultimately took over the country when the gov't collapsed from bankruptcy. The notion that capitalism creates corruption is laughable with these massive recent examples.

adventured 5y ago
> The notion that capitalism creates corruption is laughable with these massive recent examples. The most corrupt nations throughout modern history have always been on the Socialist spectrum, without exception. Including National Socialist Germany, Communist Cuba, Communist China, Communist Vietnam, Socialist Iraq, Communist North Korea, Theocratic-Socialist Iran, Socialist Syria, Socialist Zimbabwe, Socialist Venezuela as well as Soviet Russia, all of which were/are Socialist derivatives.
- throwanident 5y ago
  The Nazis were about as socialist as the DPRK is democratic. Next thing you'll say is that Somalia, South Sudan, Congo, Haiti and Afghanistan are all socialist too!