Posted on Sep 22, 2015
Is Capitalism to blame for the world's poverty?
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http://www.wnd.com/2015/09/the-left-has-its-pope/#8uvpvrzZXEPsq0VX.99
Any serious look at the history of human beings over the millennia shows that the species began in poverty. It is not poverty, but prosperity, that needs explaining. Poverty is automatic, but prosperity requires many things – none of which is equally distributed around the world or even within a given society.
Any serious look at the history of human beings over the millennia shows that the species began in poverty. It is not poverty, but prosperity, that needs explaining. Poverty is automatic, but prosperity requires many things – none of which is equally distributed around the world or even within a given society.
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 44
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CPO Andy Carrillo, MS
Agreed. There are plenty of resources but until we learn to share and play well with others then we'll 'always have the poor among' us...
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LCpl Stephen Rose
And laziness. In America, we have every opportunity in the world to become successful. In other countries that are not as free or capitalistic as us, they don't get the same chances at success as us. This is more likely due to the greed of their leadership, but in America it is shear laziness that keeps people poor.
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Poverty is enormously complex, so anyone trying to blame it on any single thing is a fool. The issue with Capitalism isn't that it creates poverty. It's that, unfettered, it creates wealth at the expense of others.
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SSG Gerhard S.
MAJ (Join to see) - Indeed... There is little that government does, that the market can't do more efficiently, and more effectively. For instance did you know that the New York subway system was built, around 1905, and was largely funded by private concerns with some government subsidies? Unfortunately the government subsidies forbade these companies from raising their rates, and what was a profitable rate in 1911 was no longer profitable following the end of the Great War with it's associated inflation. When they petitioned to raise the rates, there was outrage from the people, and from the City of New York. This inability to raise their rates caused the corporations who owned the subways to sell them to the government to avoid bankruptcy....of course, then the government turned right around and raised the rates. Nice scam.
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MAJ (Join to see)
SGT Jeremiah B.
"Actually, in that case, it's the opposite of what you're saying. He's not keeping it low because he has no competition and can create a barrier though artificially high pricing. By the time anyone develops a means to compete with him, he has made enough money to tank them out of business, Then he either buys out the patents or raises it back up when the threat is past. All the while, he holds the market by the balls as it's something that the person who needs it simply can't say no to."
The problem with this line of thought and the reason it isn't feasible is there is ALWAYS A THREAT, as soon as the price goes up high enough someone will enter the market, and people have a tendency to be bitter about the high price guy. Capitalism will work out in the end. There has to be a way to keep people from entering the market historically that has meant big businesses bribing Government officials into keeping other's out. (Pan AM is a great example, until WWII they had a Government sponsored monopoly in international flights as soon as their lobbying failed and competition was allowed prices hit the floor and the airline slowly dwindled towards bankruptcy.)
"My greater point originally though was that while Capitalism is certainly a great system, it has not always been great for everyone and has actually contributed to some of the problems around the world. Iran, much of Africa and parts of South America have paid heavy prices for private industry exploiting people and corrupt governments. Some of those messes will take decades to fix..if we're lucky."
In all of those cases Government Socialism is the problem, those corporations always bribe the government officials to establish and maintain a monopoly. If capitalism were actually facilitated their rates would be lowered.
In other words "Government isn't the solution to our problem, Government is the problem" Ronald Regan
"Actually, in that case, it's the opposite of what you're saying. He's not keeping it low because he has no competition and can create a barrier though artificially high pricing. By the time anyone develops a means to compete with him, he has made enough money to tank them out of business, Then he either buys out the patents or raises it back up when the threat is past. All the while, he holds the market by the balls as it's something that the person who needs it simply can't say no to."
The problem with this line of thought and the reason it isn't feasible is there is ALWAYS A THREAT, as soon as the price goes up high enough someone will enter the market, and people have a tendency to be bitter about the high price guy. Capitalism will work out in the end. There has to be a way to keep people from entering the market historically that has meant big businesses bribing Government officials into keeping other's out. (Pan AM is a great example, until WWII they had a Government sponsored monopoly in international flights as soon as their lobbying failed and competition was allowed prices hit the floor and the airline slowly dwindled towards bankruptcy.)
"My greater point originally though was that while Capitalism is certainly a great system, it has not always been great for everyone and has actually contributed to some of the problems around the world. Iran, much of Africa and parts of South America have paid heavy prices for private industry exploiting people and corrupt governments. Some of those messes will take decades to fix..if we're lucky."
In all of those cases Government Socialism is the problem, those corporations always bribe the government officials to establish and maintain a monopoly. If capitalism were actually facilitated their rates would be lowered.
In other words "Government isn't the solution to our problem, Government is the problem" Ronald Regan
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SGT Jeremiah B.
MAJ (Join to see) - You and I aren't that far apart on this one. I just think going too far one way or the other is problematic. If a boot is on your neck, it really doesn't matter whose foot is in it. Bad governance is definitely a problem, but when Shell facilitates the arrest and execution of a writer in Nigeria, we don't get to just look at the Nigerian government and say "tsk, tsk, tsk" while giving Shell a pass.
Private industry has been the cause of enormous suffering around the world. We as Americans just tend not to pay much attention because it's those people over there somewhere and aren't they better off now than they were before?
The challenge, of course, is..yeah, how do we fix it? People suck.
Private industry has been the cause of enormous suffering around the world. We as Americans just tend not to pay much attention because it's those people over there somewhere and aren't they better off now than they were before?
The challenge, of course, is..yeah, how do we fix it? People suck.
Shell agrees to pay compensation for execution of Saro-Wiwa and Ogoni protesters
Oil giant agrees settlement after accusations of collaboration in execution
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Suspended Profile
In general Capitalism lifts the standard of living for those who are practicing it. The problems is most of the world's impoverished people do not live in a true capitalist state. They live in war torn countries or in countries where the government, army, or police are so corrupt that goods and services never get to where they belong. And before anyone starts piping up about the impoverished in the US remember that if you have healthcare, food, home, running water, cable TV, cell phone, transportation, etc...by world standards you are far from impoverished.
CPO Andy Carrillo, MS
Well said, MSgt. Even the US homeless have access to potable water, free food, government entitlements, and health car--if they choose it.
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Sgt (Join to see)
I was going to respond to the original question MSgt, but there was no need. Your excellent response says it all.
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PO3 (Join to see)
Good point, when the rest of the world want to punish the rich ... REMEMBER this point. WE ARE RICH.
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