Capitalism has never worked..

[imanihonjin]

Looking at Trumps current appointments, it's clear that our country will be run by big oil for the foreseeable future. Does the market keep big oil in check? No, the market is whimpering in the corner. I work for one of the largest IT companies in the world, a company that has no soul nor any compassion. It's a profit driven force. Market forces do not affect it. Market forces have no power to affect corporate giants. Power accumulates more power and never relinquishes power. Milton Friedman sold us the lie that if we only let corporate America proceed unfettered the market would magically keep itself in check. It's a lie, and Milton Friedman is the Messiah of that lie.

Haha....okay. Ask moli what the market has done to big oil the last couple of years because of the innovation of fracking. Not really a great time to be raising that as your boogeyman.

[jay santos]

Looking at Trumps current appointments, it's clear that our country will be run by big oil for the foreseeable future. Does the market keep big oil in check? No, the market is whimpering in the corner. I work for one of the largest IT companies in the world, a company that has no soul nor any compassion. It's a profit driven force. Market forces do not affect corporate giants, and they have not power to contain them. Power seeks only to accumulate more power and never relinquishes a bit of its power. Milton Friedman sold us the lie that if we only let corporate America proceed unfettered, the market will keep itself in check. It's a lie, and Milton Friedman is the Messiah of that lie.

Key statement there was the bold. It's nice to have a job. Nice to have things. Nice to be able to go to the store and have a lot of choices of what to buy with the money you got from your job.

[byu71]

It's a profit driven force. Market forces do not affect it. Market forces have no power to affect corporate giants.

I wonder how people who owned Enron, GM, Chrysler, Lehman, Bear Stearns, Drexel, Compaq, Pan Am, etc. etc. etc. feel about too big to fail.

[Non Sequitur]

Sounds like you swung from one oversimplified extreme to the opposite.

Is there really anything written on any message board that isn't an oversimplification?

[Sleeping in EQ]

No economic system works. Eventually, those with means manage to accumulate wealth and power outside of the ability of any government or people to hold them accountable. And then there is violence and new attempts to "progress" and get it right this time. We tell ourselves we have new technologies and new systems and this time our dreams will be realized.

The effort has never worked. We are, as Kenneth Burke says, "rotten with perfection."

It's a great argument for the fallen nature of man.

[Non Sequitur]

Key statement there was the bold. It's nice to have a job. Nice to have things. Nice to be able to go to the store and have a lot of choices of what to buy with the money you got from your job.

I'm the first to admit that I'm a hypocrite and a sellout, and I'm not proud of it, but I at least have the self awareness to recognize whom is the pimp and who is the whore.

[byu71]

No economic system works. Eventually, those with means manage to accumulate wealth and power outside of the ability of any government or people to hold them accountable. And then there is violence and new attempts to "progress" and get it right this time. We tell ourselves we have new technologies and new systems and this time our dreams will be realized.

The effort has never worked. We are, as Kenneth Burke says, "rotten with perfection."

It's a great argument for the fallen nature of man.

when you say those with "means", would you include in your definition of means, education, intelligence, ambition, risk taking, connections, creativity, common sense?

[imanihonjin]

I'm the first to admit that I'm a hypocrite and a sellout, and I'm not proud of it, but I at least have the self awareness to recognize whom is the pimp and who is the whore.

So then you aren't really proposing a different system, you just want people to be honest about their motivations?

[Sleeping in EQ]

when you say those with "means", would you include in your definition of means, education, intelligence, ambition, risk taking, connections, creativity, common sense?

Those are some, but by no means all, of the means.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Looking at Trumps current appointments, it's clear that our country will be run by big oil for the foreseeable future. Does the market keep big oil in check? No, the market is whimpering in the corner. I work for one of the largest IT companies in the world, a company that has no soul and no compassion. It's a profit driven force. Market forces do not affect corporate giants, and they have not power to contain them. Power seeks only to accumulate more power and never relinquishes a bit of its power. Milton Friedman sold us the lie that if we only let corporate America proceed unfettered, the market will keep it in check. It's a lie, and Milton Friedman is the Messiah of that lie.

You work for Apple too? Did not know that.

[Goatnapper'96]

I'm the first to admit that I'm a hypocrite and a sellout, and I'm not proud of it, but I at least have the self awareness to recognize whom is the pimp and who is the whore.

Over the years I find your descent into self-loathing to be somewhat comical. Repent, brother.

[Goatnapper'96]

No economic system works. Eventually, those with means manage to accumulate wealth and power outside of the ability of any government or people to hold them accountable. And then there is violence and new attempts to "progress" and get it right this time. We tell ourselves we have new technologies and new systems and this time our dreams will be realized.

The effort has never worked. We are, as Kenneth Burke says, "rotten with perfection."

It's a great argument for the fallen nature of man.

This is the nail. I am free market fan because I believe economic development has done more good for improving mankind's temporal condition than any other force. I am a fan because it also works well for me. However, the fundamental key to capitalism or any other economic system is morality. As the collective morality digresses then all the ills that history quotes affiliated with any and all economic system come to the forefront. At their root is greed and likely pride.

[byu71]

However, the fundamental key to capitalism or any other economic system is morality. As the collective morality digresses then all the ills that history quotes affiliated with any and all economic system come to the forefront. At their root is greed and likely pride.

It is awfully hard to access ones morals when it comes to money. I would say that the capitalistic system puts a better check on that than some form of a government system. A lot more greedy and immoral business types end up in jail than say government officials.

In addition on average I would bet those in the capitalistic system give far more to charity than our government servants. I could be wrong, especially if you count what government officials donate to causes by taxing the citizens for those causes.

Government made millionaires, would include Orrin, the Clintons, mayor of Chicago, Harry Reid, Pelosi (husbands government sweetheart deals), Terry M. and even Bernie who is worth close to a net worth of a million. Odds are if he hadn't gotten into government he wouldn't have a pot to piss in.

[Moliere]

Haha....okay. Ask moli what the market has done to big oil the last couple of years because of the innovation of fracking. Not really a great time to be raising that as your boogeyman.

Being a bit at the mercy of a rabid and self-policing group of nations is frustrating. However, fracking has turned the tables a bit in favor of US producers. We can't produce oil as cheap as the Saudis, but we can produce it cheap enough.

I'm a big fan of capitalism. It needs to be regulated and monopolies need to be disallowed (or extremely regulated). It always makes me happy when the Feds disallow a merger of two very large companies. A perfect scenario is to have many middle sized companies continually vying for profits.


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[Non Sequitur]

Over the years I find your descent into self-loathing to be somewhat comical. Repent, brother.

I am unrepentant for my self-loathing. In fairness, though, I loath most people, but you, my friend, are not one of those people.