A question to Communists:

[Jawz II]

How do you explain the fact that 85% of donations last year from America were from Individuals? How do you explain all of the corporations that are feeding starving children in afrcia? How do you explain the fact that a commie country won't make enough food for their own people, much less other nation's children? And have you considered that it is because there are starving children in Africa and the middle east, in Asia and the Americas because there is no capitalsim and/or no democracy, both the nessesary things to create an advanced society?

Which commie country would that be? 85% of which donations to where from who? There is capitalism in most of the worlds countries, in fact I can only think of 1 or 2 supposedly "communist" countries that don't have capitalism. The rest of the world does.


Name a single african or middle eastern country without capitalism. If youre gonna go on a rant, it helps to know a little about the things youre gonna rant about first.

Advanced country? I don't understand what this part of your post is about.
The soviet union was pretty advanced. What does science have to do with capitalism?

 

[bathsheba666]

Yes, there is poverty, but that is an unfortunate part of life.

So you've given up on them already

With all of the great things we have here and all of the people in America making more money than anyone else in the world and having enough to buy food and luxuries

And you've forgotten them already.

"And nobody was really poor.
At least....nobody worth speaking of"

 

[ibn sina]

I think we'd need a proper definiton of capitalism. Just beacuse there isn't a completely planned economy (which is impossible) does not mean there are high degrees of capitalism.
I would say that capitalism is economic freedom i.e a free market. Then we have an extremely strong correlation between capitalism and wealth. Nor is the distribution of wealth less equal in the capitalistic countries.
To argue against it is just folly.

 

[denze]

My problem with capitalism is: Why should anybody in America not have enough food to live on? Why should children go to bed hungry?

The greatest nation in the world and it has people who are starving. There is something fundamentally wrong with a system that allow this.

Communism doesn't work either. Perhaps there is a compromise that balances the inequities with opportunities, but we aren't there yet.

 

[amaterasu]

I know I am going to start a ten page debate, a flurry of angry members, a few moderaters constantly watching me, when i don't really feel up to any of it, but I really need to ask:

When Communists look around and see the great that Capitalism has done, how can't they support it? Yes, there is poverty, but that is an unfortunate part of life. With all of the great things we have here and all of the people in America making more money than anyone else in the world and having enough to buy food and luxuries, how can they still not support it.

Thank you for letting me know.

Because the money those people got has meant that many many more people have almost no money... are I supposed to love sweat shops as well?

Capitalism economically is better in practise, but that doesn't mean that it should be allowed to squash the little guy every time.

The jumps made by socialist/communist countries is also pretty big, the USSR was doing well considering everything! WW1, then the civil war, then the huge destruction caused by WW2, yet still by the 60s they had increased their GNP by loads.

 

[Princeps]

I don't see it in the "capitalism vs communism" "left versus right" spectrum, I am opposed to totalitarianism and massive concentration of power and wealth and both ideologies are capable of it. Whereas Soviet Communism was a state capitalist totalitarianism that served the state elites, Washington style neoliberalism serves the totalitarian institutions we call corporations and private elites over the underlying population.

 

[LordRahl]

When Communists look around and see the great that Capitalism has done, how can't they support it?

Don't ever underestimate humanity's capacity for denial.

 

[bathsheba666]

Don't ever underestimate humanity's capacity for denial.

One example of which is forgetting that communism came into being precisely as a result of looking at the world that capitalism wrought, and being shocked by the systemic squalor and misery that it produced.

And, guess what, freed from the competitive shackles lol, capitalism is taking us right back there.

 

[CaptainF]

One example of which is forgetting that communism came into being precisely as a result of looking at the world that capitalism wrought, and being shocked by the systemic squalor and misery that it produced.

And, guess what, freed from the competitive shackles lol, capitalism is taking us right back there.

But ah, the solution? Where fore art the solution?

Thing is, that squalor and squalid living conditions have always been lived in by a part of the population. A massive cliche to be sure, but poor and rich there shall always be.

 

[bathsheba666]

But ah, the solution? Where fore art the solution? .

Do you really want a solution?

Thing is, that squalor and squalid living conditions have always been lived in by a part of the population. A massive cliche to be sure, but poor and rich there shall always be.

Obviously you don't, you appear to be cheerfully acquiescent.

 

[azzaman333]

Communism doesn't work because capitalism encourages the greed which prevents communism from working.

However, we need to find the perfect middle ground between capitalism and communism as neither are inherently superior.

 

[Merkinball]

Have you considered that there are also starving children in the US? - ainwood

No...

Caloric intakes of lower class kids in America is higher than those in the middle and upper class. Lower class children also have significantly higher rates of obesity in America.

Name a single african or middle eastern country without capitalism. - JawsII

Ummm, all of them. What middle eastern nation is capitalistic? I know that Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman aren't really capitalist at all, and have large stakes in every major economic entity in each respective country.

Africa is much the same. One of the percieved problems of Africa is too much government, and too much regulation, that's severely inhibiting foreign investment.

The soviet union was pretty advanced. What does science have to do with capitalism?

Moscow was...I wouldn't say the rest of the USSR was though. There's a reason that the eastern bloc fell apart after the Kremlin fell. Science has a LOT to do with capitalism. Capitalism is the reason that the vast majority of medical and pharmeceutical advancements are coming out of America.

Why should anybody in America not have enough food to live on? Why should children go to bed hungry?

The greatest nation in the world and it has people who are starving. There is something fundamentally wrong with a system that allow this.

Is there a rolly eyed emoticon? Could you substantiate this? Probably not. If there are children that go to bed hungry at night, than it's because their welfare parents decided to go out and spend their welfare checks on ciggies and booze instead of taking care of their children.

Why does capitalism encourage greed? I disagree with that assertion...

America is definitely a greedy place. We definitely have a society of convenience, but I don't think capitalism is the reason...

 

[JollyRoger]

I know I am going to start a ten page debate, a flurry of angry members, a few moderaters constantly watching me, when i don't really feel up to any of it, but I really need to ask:

When Communists look around and see the great that Capitalism has done, how can't they support it? Yes, there is poverty, but that is an unfortunate part of life. With all of the great things we have here and all of the people in America making more money than anyone else in the world and having enough to buy food and luxuries, how can they still not support it.

Thank you for letting me know.

Even the U.S. has communists, sitting in lawnchairs at the Southern border trying to suppress the natural supply of labor.

 

[Jawz II]

No...

Caloric intakes of lower class kids in America is higher than those in the middle and upper class. Lower class children also have significantly higher rates of obesity in America.



Ummm, all of them. What middle eastern nation is capitalistic? I know that Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman aren't really capitalist at all, and have large stakes in every major economic entity in each respective country.

Africa is much the same. One of the percieved problems of Africa is too much government, and too much regulation, that's severely inhibiting foreign investment.



Moscow was...I wouldn't say the rest of the USSR was though. There's a reason that the eastern bloc fell apart after the Kremlin fell. Science has a LOT to do with capitalism. Capitalism is the reason that the vast majority of medical and pharmeceutical advancements are coming out of America.

Do you even know what capitalism is?

So what would you call the economic systems of the countries in the middle east and africa? too much government regulating what? there is no friggin money to regulate in africa. Foreign investment in what?

Theres no real industry, all they have is natural resources.
They have nationalised many of their natural resources, cause they dont like to keep being ripped off as they were in colonial times, which is what I suspect is what youre talking about, but they do have free market economy.

Research is what makes scientific advancement possible, not money.
Money is needed for this research, but it can come from any place, dosent have to be the wealthy company, it could and should be from the government.

The reason kreml fell was bad planning, plain and simple. They didnt plan their industry and agriculture according to where it would work best geographically, but they allocated a certain amount of each to every region, which is very counter-productive but I suppose "fair" sounding to some.

And you can say what you want, the soviet union was technologically very advanced, not that it matters, since they were communist only in name.

 

[History_Buff]

Before I start, I'll just say I'm no Communist. If anything, many people here would refer to me as a 'Pinko Socialist'. And I am entirely confident that (for the next hundred years anyway) any functioning economy will need a Capitalist base to keep itself in good working order.

However, Communism is a good system to consider because Capitalism has a large number of flaws inherent to it. People will not behave in the best interest of society in many situations, because they do not consider long term. These things can often be corrected however, due to government intervention. Government control of the economy is basically the central theme. And while complete Utopian Socialism will likely never be achieved, it's worth looking at.

You cannot discard an entire economic theory because of a failed dictatorship.

 

[Merkinball]

Jawz, have you ever been to Africa? I assure you, there's plenty of wealth to be had and gotten at. And most of it lies in the hands of curropt leaders in just about every nation on the continent.

The ascertion that...they "nationalized" most resources because they were getting ripped off is absolutely the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard in my entire life. Simply put. If they didn't want to get "ripped off" they are under no obligation to do business with them. These resources are "nationalized" to increase cash flow to the powers at be. Pure and simple. Doesn't matter where you go in the developing world.

Why on earth should money for research come from the government? What a scary thought. A bunch of people in capitals across the world, dictating what should and shouldn't be researched above those in the scientific community.

What's so advanced about Romania, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Siberia...so on and so forth...

Some of the USSR was advanced. The vast majority of it was straight up third world.

 

[cubsfan6506]

I support a system I like to call super capitalism. I get all the money and everyone works for me with no chance of advancement. Yeah.

 

[Godwynn]

I support a system I like to call super capitalism. I get all the money and everyone works for me with no chance of advancement. Yeah.

Fortunately, that wouldn't work.

 

[cubsfan6506]

I know. I don't really support it either.

 

[CaptainF]

Do you really want a solution?

As time progresses, maybe we will find one. For now, even with the most egalitarian goals in mind, you still have the down trodden.

Obviously you don't, you appear to be cheerfully acquiescent.

I just really don't see a "solution" to it in the first place, at least not one that will leave things worse off anyway.

For one thing, however, you seem to assume that all "poor" people are miserable. I know plenty that are quite happy with their standing in life. There are also plenty of rich people who are hopelessly miserable for whatever reason.

Economic standing has no bearing on the happiness of the person, to be quite honest. It's all up to them. Am I supposed to be a pathetic little sack of heart hemorrhage because I have more material wealth than other people? Absolutely not. No use in such behavior, other than to please the leftist guilt peddlers.