Does the strife and tension in the world at the moment a sign Capitalism is not working?

[fluffybiscuits]

Capitalism favours a system where there is a hierarchy of people gaining profit on the back of people whom are paid enough to keep them in a job however whom cannot move from one job to another easily enough. You pay a man a wage and also control him with the net result that corporations and large business gain power. Capitalism may have some benefits but by and large is it not the largest contributor to the issues we have at the moment in the world in terms of strife? No one need look any closer than to the US where there has been an inequal health care system, social welfare system and where minorities were treated like second class citizens for years. Large insurance companies own the vast tract of the health care market, social welfare is cut off after a year as people are expected to be wage slaves and large business is predominantly white. Capitalism itself has contributed to the cause of divisions within society with African Americans, Latinos and other minorities all being treated with disdain by large corporations in the pursuit of materialistic wealth. Access to housing, employment, education and other benefits is restricted to a large swathe of white America whom are intent on oppressing those whom they cant make a quick buck from. Israel has seized land from Palestinians in the hope of expanding to make a larger country, more resources means more profit and the pursuit of financial goals inflicts more misery on the people of Palestine.

The divisions that afflict such groups can be seen as to be beneficial to capitalists and their ilk. The worker that is not united is the worker that will not fight, that will not empower themselves and rise up and fight for the rights they are entitled to.


http://socialistworker.org/2009/10/0...ion-comes-from

http://www.plp.org/challenge/2012/8/...land-grab.html

[fluffybiscuits]

Free Market economics is dictating world policy as it stands at the moment. A price is agreed on for goods and this in turn spurns the economy with improved quality and a lower cost as there is so much competition however a free market will only benefit certain individuals. How might this be countered? Mutualism could be one solution. A number of co-ops are set up and are government run with each co-op competing against one and other and private industry pushed to the peripheral. In Ireland this could take the role of looking at areas of drug research that other multinationals are not doing here but are doing abroad that could create competition. Each of the mutual co-ops would be owned by the staff and shares offered if they wish to buy more and each given a basic wage (good wage ). This answers the issues raised by those whom are pro capitalist, it creates a free market effect but also takes into account factors that affect unemployment and job creation.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

My own view is that the free market system was killed off some years ago. What we are now seeing is a new reality- the gathering of what resources remain towards the wealthiest. If the free market system was in operation at all for example in Ireland NAMA would not exist, we would not be borrowing to pay bank bondholders and there would be no such thing as the Croke Park Agreement.

All of these latter systems can be thought of as a form of protectionism like the protectionism and tariff system of the 1930s calculated to preserve nation interests against the free market.

Except this time the paradigm is in finite resources and the need to retain wealth at the top.

[Holly]

"Strife and tension" is caused by a lot more that economic systems judging by the news I see and read.

[jpc]

Fuel and food prices are as big a part of the story.
The Roman Emperors were acutely aware of that .
Bread and Circus's.
Seems to be lost on some of the ruling classes today!

[fluffybiscuits]

My own view is that the free market system was killed off some years ago. What we are now seeing is a new reality- the gathering of what resources remain towards the wealthiest. If the free market system was in operation at all for example in Ireland NAMA would not exist, we would not be borrowing to pay bank bondholders and there would be no such thing as the Croke Park Agreement.

All of these latter systems can be thought of as a form of protectionism like the protectionism and tariff system of the 1930s calculated to preserve nation interests against the free market.

Except this time the paradigm is in finite resources and the need to retain wealth at the top.

What a free market does encourage is risk taking as it appeals to the greedy side of people psychologically. Its one thing being inventive but its another thing creating a whole marketing need for people for things that they dont really need (as per the housing market).

"Strife and tension" is caused by a lot more that economic systems judging by the news I see and read.

If people have jobs and access to services and some purchasing power they are placated are they not? Discrimination usually means denying people access to services that they need and charging them a fortune for it.

Fuel and food prices are as big a part of the story.
The Roman Emperors were acutely aware of that .
Bread and Circus's.
Seems to be lost on some of the ruling classes today!

If the basics are kept low then people can survive. Oil is going to shoot up in the next few years even more than it is now and that is when the fun starts. Some of the bigger energy companies will keep prices artifically high to gain prifts.