Try and think of our global system as an engine that's purpose is to make fuel for itself. It needs to keep it's input above the output in order to keep powered on. As soon as the input drops below output the machine starts to slow down and can no longer sustain itself. The engine is not designed to slow down so it very quickly breaks down
Man, if only capitalism hadn't already fucking collapsed on itself, so people would stop repeating some bullshit line they heard, because they think it makes them sound insightful.
Seriously, the stretch from WW1 to the Great Depression showcased the fact that capitalism is a system fundamentally incapable of sustaining itself through a crisis. Pulling yourself by your bootstraps sounds wonderful until there are no boots going around to begin with.
You'd think that after the government having to come to the rescue again and again, maybe people would realize that a system where 12 people are worth more than half the Earth's population combined might have some issues needing addressing. Especially given the fact that the "golden age" of said system happened exactly when social welfare and strong worker's rights were a priority.
But no, it's the best out of all alternatives imaginable, so let's just keep pursuing the fairy tale it's supposed to be instead of working with the reality of what it is.
Considering that every country in the West became more socialist when the ussr was around, and is becoming more fascist now that it's gone, yes. Either we become communist, or we burn in the coming climate catastrophe.
the stretch from WW1 to the Great Depression showcased the fact that capitalism is a system fundamentally incapable of sustaining itself through a crisis
Well-read people have implemented other systems and they failed.
Humans aren't chess pieces you can place on a board and expect to stay in their place. Capitalism is an outlet to channel selfishness away from the most destructive options and to do some good. Pretending that selfishness doesn't exist doesn't make it go away.
Not accounting for human selfishness as an inevitability is the worst thing you can do.
What are you talking about? Even the world bank, a famously liberal institution admitted that standards of living are higher under communism. There has yet to be a communist government that's fallen due to internal instability. Hell, Cuba has a higher life expectancy than the US, and we've been attacking them for like 60 years
Capitalism has failed as well, hence why the majority of wealth is concentrated into a tiny few people. That will always be the end result of unchecked capitalism.
And Socialism has never really been given a true chance to work, as it's been sabotaged by capitalists when it has been tried.
Abso fucking lutely not lol. Capitalism is the only system every person has a chance to make it. Other systems will not give that privilege to you. They will stop you.
You haven't really understood the underlying workings of other systems we've had in mankind's history.
Capitalism only gives every person “a chance to make it” when it’s continuously expanding into new markets.
A saturated global economy with no new frontiers left to open is one which quickly sees consolidation and the birth of a new feudalism. (See also elite overproduction crises, high-level equilibrium traps, etc…)
(Also note that I’m not advocating socialism or any other system, for that matter. Just noting that the reality isn’t so rosie.)
How every every person supposed to make it under capitalism? It's a system that empowers the people at the top to keep gaining more power and wealth until they have all the power and wealth. We're seeing this happen before our own eyes, can you not see the problems with that?
Socialism on the other hand is about distributing the wealth equitably amongst everyone, so while there may not be anyone who's super rich, there's also no one who's homeless and starving. Personally I'm perfectly fine with no rich people if it means every gets a chance to thrive, and their basic rights aren't being exploited for someone else to get rich off of.
It could be argued that capitalism also tries to stop you. The system encourages competition, but societal structures and individual actors can and do create barriers such that they can avoid losing their dominant position. Intervention is typically necessary to ensure a market where small actors aren’t vulnerable to predation by bigger ones.
I still think it’s a better system than other extant ones, but it doesn’t guarantee that everyone gets a chance. Reasonable governments are necessary to ensure equity no matter what economic system.
I agree overall except that part where everyone not getting a chance.
Not everyone gets an equal chance but they have their chances. Why? Because everyone is free to learn about stock market, economy, basics of trading and investing, money and risk management.
It's not gate kept. With good mentorship you can become set for life. Investment is open to everyone. In other systems, even if you have the Knowledge and wisdom to grow your portfolio, you will be stopped.
That's because you're thinking about becoming exit-liquidity.
What I'm talking about isn't equality nor fairness. I'm talking about having a chance to change your financial and social status without being stopped by force. Capitalism gives everyone this chance. Whether they fuck it up, screwed over by market or even make it, is a byproduct of their own decision-making. Not government forcing you to give up your gains just because.
Capitalism might've been a necessary step along the way, but it's extremely flawed. I mean if it's so great, why do so many companies need to get bailed out by the government? That's socialism, not capitalism, a true capitalist system would just let those companies die.
1.2k
u/thevoidthatjerksback 7h ago
I doubt that anyone could explain this in a way where I would accept deflation as worse