The death of the dream of Capitalism is imminent

1: The same issue as socialism and communism. The human factor, uncontrolled, capitalism has the potential for a greater disaster than the other two.
Capitalism , and I do mean in it's purest form, means that the welfare of the majority relies on the actions of a few.

Let's look at super vs pension.

The wealthy naturally have super mainly in their investments etc. They then complain that they pay too much tax and are subsidising the pensions of those who didn't save for their old age.

The problem is that super funds, banks, property investors are the wealthy, well the ones in control are, so not only are they (the wealthy) saving tax, but are profiting from the savings of those less well off looking for nothing more than shelter and a little to live out their days ,usually after a lifetime of service to the wealthy.

We have seen first hand over the past few decades the utter devastation that unscrupulous people in positions of financial power can do to the economy and in particular the funds of retirees even in a lot of cases leading to suicide.

The thing that people don't seem to understand is that we pay for everything no matter what way we pay. I am amused that during the debate in Australia over the ABC, people refered to it as "the station we pay for". Hello, we pay for the commercial stations too. Every time you buy anything. No choice.

 

You didn't answer 2 or 3, which were more interesting imo.

Also, you didnt really explain what you'd replace it with. Do you favor the status quo of 70% private economy, and 30% government, do you support a move to socialism (actual socialism - ending private ownership of the means of production).

If I don't want to pay for Sky News I can not get Foxtel. If I want to not pay for the ABC I can basically only flee the country.

The ABC's mandate is obsolete. There is no longer any monopoly on media. Government should not be involved in any way in the press. No regulation, no speech codes, no government run outlets.

 

Sorry had to go to dinner. Status quo, no particular percentage.

There is constant push by the right to privatise everything, it starts small and innocent but it allows things to fester until we notice what's going on and then if we can fix it it is expensive.

Education and health are perfect examples. I have no issues with private health and education but I don't see why my tax money is subsiding private schools. If you can't afford to pay then send them to public school. It's usually for factors other than educational quality, usually religious or belief. Fine but why should I pay? I don't mind paying for public education because that adds to our nation's wealth.

I will continue tomorrow my own health hasn't been the best.

 

I don't see why I'm paying for public schools.

The average student K-12 costs the WA government $12,000 per year, that's typically more than private schooling. Let them take that amount to public schools, private schools, or for Homeschooling.

I'm especially opposed to working class folks paying for our university degrees.

 

Well I am glad they do or I would never have gotten a degree. When I left school university was not for the smartest but for the rich. Yes a few scholarships but not enough .When TEAS came in I went and achieved a triple major and have repaid my debt plus some.

 

No country is pure capitalism, all are a blend

 

Holy carp this is getting nonsensical. Of course our system (not capitalism per say but the system under which capitalism operates - our system and that of other capitalist nations) is designed to protect the wealthy - and good thing in many ways. If it was legal for people to steal from each other that would be anarchy.

Now it is legal for the Gov't to steal from people. The system is structured so that the wealthy are afforded much greater protection from this theft than the average citizen. While this is not necessarily a function of Capitalism - in our system the influence of Capitalism has resulted in greater protection from theft of wealth than the average citizen.

 

So you are saying capitalism has been around for many years yet it is not possible.....not very good logic.

 

Why do people who try to purport themselves as intelligent take such stands.

"Pure captalism" does not exist anywhere and never has since the wealth of nations. To say something is dying when it never existed goes beyond my understanding.

 

More good has been done by capitalists than all the do gooders of whatever stripe ever lived. Thanks in no small part to capitalism we live longer better and happier than ever before unless of course you're a leftist in which case your job is to wake up pissed about one thing or the other every damn day of your lives. The only people I know who are more unhappy than socialists are those forced to live under their rule.

 

I agree. But that's history

 

I never said pure capitalism ever existed, what I said in essence was our striving to achieve a perfect true capitalism will cause the demise of what we think that capitalism is because it doesn't exist. It's an illusion to control puppets with strings of silver and gold, or maybe dangling a carat in front of a donkey .

 

In History lies the understanding of the future.

 

Exactly ,learning from our mistakes,not going back and redoing them

 

The debt is not for the degree. The debt is for your share of the degree. A non-Commonwealth place at the University of Melbourne law school is $150,000. The government pays the vast majority of this outright, and you take out a loan for the ~$2000 a semester of what remains, repaid through taxes.

YOU pay that.

The $130k which remains is paid for by everyone, university graduate or not. A working class labourer earning $40k is paying for it.

This strikes me as fundamentally immoral.

 

The problem with Capitalism is that it destroys democracy if it is allowed unfettered rule which it has from the 80's. If it is to be democratic government then it is the duty of the Government not to let capitalism get out of control. It was before WW2 so we put in constraints. It is once again and surprise surprise we find ourselves moving towards fascism again. Fine for those who do not like democracy and who do agree with fascism. For those who do believe in Democracy and equal rights which are the foundation of democracy, people are talking now about bringing democracy into the work place.. Sounds like the sensible direction to begin moving for those who like democracy.

 

No, everyone benefits from a smarter country, even the working class labourers. What we benefit determins what we pay, well as best fit as reasonably possible

 

See not am I only paying my hex as well as tax ,I continue to pay tax at a higher rate than the labourer but today maybe not so.

 

They'd benefit a lot more if their property wasn't stolen and given to yuppie upper middle class types.

Apply HECS to the full value of the degree, no subsidies other than the lost interest of a 0% loan.

 

The mistakes have always existed with in the idea that government knows best.