coloradoatheist

The biggest problem I see with your article Malachi is that you simply dismiss most marketing schemes that have failed. You talked about cigarettes (saying only marketing caused it's problems and not the product itself), McDonalds (again dismissing that it has a product people want) and sex (a desire of people). But fads and products come and go depending on if they service a need or desire of a large enough group, not just on marketing. Marketing may get a person in the door, but staying with the product does depend on the product.

As far as Argentina and other countries it's the same point that comes up with communism is if in fact they went far enough to be capitalist. Because we do know that governmental policy effects the outcome so even though they may say they are capitalist or communist, in fact they might not be.


Mike

gandolfi

There are so many mistatements in this thread it is hard to know where to begin. Firstly, the system prevailing in the USA is not capitalism; it is corporatism and is very close to fascism. Capitalism is based on free enterprise; that has been significantly eroded in the USA by the refusal to apply antitrust laws. Capitalism strongly respects the rights of labor to organise; the US is headed in exactly the opposite direction. American labor unions are a mere shadow of their counterparts in Europe. Capitalsm depends on a healthy market, which means a society in which there are safety nets. FDR attempted to save capitalism in the US by introducing a raft of social programs. These are being systematically dismantled by Republican administrations, with the connivance of spineless Democrats. Capitalism requires democratic institutions and respect for law in the administration of the country. The USA cannot even hold honest elections, and its administration daily trashes the constitution. Capitalism requires free trade. The US violates the spirit of free trade by granting gigantic subsidies to its exporting enterprises, to artificially make their goods cheaper in the world market. All of these are anti-capitalist actions, and the current administration is strongly anti-capitalist in its ideology.

The culture of European countries is as different to the USA as anything one can find. Many of these countries are capitalist social democracies, meaning mixed economies. While capitalism can influence culture it certainly doesnt create it. European cultures have inherited their cultures from the past, which is why they are rich and beautiful. America, which has no past from which to inherit its culture (except that of minorities and immigrants) is a land of shopping malls.

coloradoatheist

And the EU has never set up in it's own tariffs. It does it too especially in the agricultural arena.

I think it's funny that you said FDR tried to save capitalism..he instituted socialistic programs (with mixed sucess) some of which now we are trying to fix and several countries in the EU have it worse. I would also say that the current administration is mixed on capitalism not in the business sense but they try and control things that should be in the market, pornography, prostitution, drugs. Capitalism in it's purest form is a survival of the fittest and if you can't cut it then you die (but most people aren't that die hard of capitalists)

What are you defining as culture? Are you defining history as culture? Access to art museums? I guess we should go back to the Roman days and kill people in the coliseum for sport.

Mike

gandolfi

Yes they have. So ?

I dont think you know what socialism is. The programs that FDR set up are essential to any well functioning capitalist society, which the USA is not.

No, that is not capitalism but some twisted form of Social Darwinism, which the Bushies love, given their long tradition of supporting Eugenics. Capitalism always involves some degree of state regulation.

I really think you should read Samuelson or some other economics 101

coloradoatheist

No, because there is always a spectrum ranging from pure capitalism to pure communism (neither of which is fully implemented). Capitalism didn't start with social security, anti-trust laws, child-labor laws, workers rights laws until after a period of time and abuses of the system were seen and laws enacted by the government.

No it's finding a balance between pure capitalism, practical capitalism, and socialism.


Mike