bluescouse
13th September 2007, 18:56
Originally posted by pusher
[email protected] 10, 2007 11:53 pm
Since we live in a capitalist world, and 50-75% of it's population live in third world conditions, how can anyone say capitalism works.
It is not a capitalist world. I think you will find that those 50-75% do not live in capitalist societies. If they did, their lives would immeasurably improve. Where capitalism has been adopted, life is the best it has ever been by almost every metric.
Another point I would like answered is how capitalism is going to cope with the coming recession? This has been coming for some time, and has only held off by people using credit to keep the consumerism going.
The same way it has coped with previous recessions - by adopting more conservative fiscal policies. Most people will not even notice the difference.
I can only speak for the Uk, but already people are taking out loans to consolodate credit cards, and other loans, taking out bigger mortgages, etc. Already homes are getting repossessed at an accellerating rate, interest rates are rising and even capitalist economists are predicting a recession. It is a ticking bomb.
No it isn't. Undoubtedly, there will be a contraction of the credit market, but such an adjustment is probably overdue and will only serve to strengthen the economy by making it more efficient.
I'm sure there is a Castro quote along the lines of 'They tell me Communism doesn't work; well I don't see Capitalism working in Africa.' And whatever you think of Castro (I have mixed opinions, though more positive than negative) he certainly makes a good point, as do you.
No, he doesn't. Capitalism only works where it exists, and it doesn't exist in the vast majority of Africa. Riddle me this: was Zimbabwe more or less capitalist 10 years ago compared to today? Is the decline of agriculture there to the degree that it has gone from a net food exporter to a net food importer merely a coincidence?
Capitalism does exist in the third world, mostly western owned, capital, but nonetheless capitalism. These countries have free markets. These countries operate on the world market. They are subject to rules of capitalism. They may not conform to some, asinine, Ayn Rand, definition, but what kind of retard get's their philosophy from a second rate sci fi writer.
Aren't the Tea/coffee plantations, the palm oil plantations, the tobacco plantations owned, or exploited by capitalists? Aren't these countries being driven to poverty by capitalist banks?
As for people not noticing a recession, I certainly remembered, and noticed the one in the early eighties. People who lose their jobs, and their homes will notice.
The fact is that capitalism cannot, and never has been, and probably never will, be able to feed it's people.