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Socialism VS Capitalism
Topic Started: Apr 30 2008, 02:33 AM (119 Views)
Goda
Topic Starter
ill let you start the debate.

Capitalism refers to an economic and social system in which the means of production are predominantly privately owned, are operated for profit, and in which investments, distribution, income, production and pricing of goods and services are determined through the operation of a market economy.

Well socialism has a really complicated definition. I suggest you all read the entire section on it in Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_economics
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d0nk3y
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current status: lurking more
In theory, a socialist society would be wonderful, but in practice, I feel a strong, widespread, altruistic, socialist system is, for the foreseeable future, an impossibility.
I welcome the day when it is, but it may already be too late...

Just let it be clear that it is not my fear nor greed that prompts these beliefs..
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calvinist

i think im going to have to agree with Graham. In theory, socialism is the greatest thing ever. In reality, it never seems to work out.
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jesusfreak574

calvinist has hit it on the head. Socialism should work wonderfully, but it hasn't yet. I don't think it ever will, because socialism starts with the postulate that people are good. If they are not good, they will at least act good and keep the interests of the entire community in mind. If they will not do that, they can be made to do it somehow.

So the question is, why does it seem that people aren't good? If people were good, socialism would work, there wouldn't be genocides in remote African countries, guns wouldn't be needed, etc.
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Goda
Topic Starter
people can be taught almost anything. burning ideals into someone doesn't have to be for evil purposes.
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d0nk3y
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A lot of the genocides in African countries have to with religion ;)
(hehe)


(Regulated) Capitalism, while hardly perfect, is more successful because it's fairer. Anytime you have a difference, people will question why. At least with capitalism, people may "blame" themselves and not the system ;)
Without competition, there is little incentive to advance... even with the soviet union's advancements in the space race, it was competition that prompted it ;)
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Goda
Topic Starter
actually that would be ethnicity that caused them

improvement is an incentive, and it is independent of competition. flaws in the socialist system are what cause laziness...thats why you eliminate the flaws.
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jesusfreak574

if improvement was sufficient incentive, then monopolies wouldn't be undesirable. improvement wasn't an incentive for the past socialist economic systems, and it isn't one (separate from competition) in any present day economic system.

think about it. if improvement was enough, then people would always be striving to do their best and serve their customers to the best of their ability without any competitors. in this scenario, a monopoly would be the most efficient means of production and would ultimately bring the lowest prices to the market for the consumer. we know this is not the case. people simply do not strive to improve in this manner.
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Goda
Topic Starter
Commercial improvement is induced by competition and profit. Individual improvement is induced by a better way of life. If the individual knows that by improving society, his way of life will also improve, then he will work harder.

not as effective, but could help, is pride. Competitions between manufacturing plants could encourage workers, just so they can say that their production is better than the other plant. Or public praise for a job well done, makes one feel good, improves others' view of them, makes them more attractive to mates, that sort of thing.
Edited by Goda, May 26 2008, 03:19 AM.
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