Thread: An Appeal to the Young

LOL - someone once referred to capitalism in terms of a bell curve to me - stating that it had hit its heyday, and that "we" were on the backside of said curve . I wholeheartedly agree... if by "we" that person was referring to the "West." Assuming that things stay on track as they are. But that's not certain yet.

The fact of the matter is, in the recent past, more people have been pulled out of poverty than in any time in the Earths history. Hence, I think capitalism is working wonders in those developing nations that all those said people have been pulled from the depths of poverty.

We'll see - or well, I guess most of us will not see how it all turns out. But one thing is for sure in America at least; this will be the first generation in quite some time to not see more affluence than the past generation - and wage disparity is a problem... but then it's really a global issue.

I have read quite a bit of Marx and tons coming out of pre-revolution Russia/France. I love the idea of socialism and even Communism. Heck, I love libertarian thought too! Unfortunately I just don't see either system working. But I hope someone comes up with an idea...

Longest post I have ever seen on any web site I belong to,for us old folks,maybe you can do a condensed version.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Longest post I have ever seen on any web site I belong to,for us old folks,maybe you can do a condensed version.

I would think you "old folks" would have more patience for such things BTW, I did a quick condensation to condense a 26 page long speech (note i did not write it, the author is a 150 yr old Russian prince) into something more digestible, without losing too much of its message.

Originally Posted by earcutter

LOL - someone once referred to capitalism in terms of a bell curve to me - stating that it had hit its heyday, and that "we" were on the backside of said curve . I wholeheartedly agree... if by "we" that person was referring to the "West." Assuming that things stay on track as they are. But that's not certain yet.
The fact of the matter is, in the recent past, more people have been pulled out of poverty than in any time in the Earths history. Hence, I think capitalism is working wonders in those developing nations that all those said people have been pulled from the depths of poverty.
We'll see - or well, I guess most of us will not see how it all turns out. But one thing is for sure in America at least; this will be the first generation in quite some time to not see more affluence than the past generation - and wage disparity is a problem... but then it's really a global issue.
I have read quite a bit of Marx and tons coming out of pre-revolution Russia/France. I love the idea of socialism and even Communism. Heck, I love libertarian thought too! Unfortunately I just don't see either system working. But I hope someone comes up with an idea...

1. LMAO I'd agree that "the west" and any country living in a post-industrial society at this time is approaching the bell curve's downward slope, and if not now, will at the same rate that the United States did. I don't know how we (USA) will ever get "back on track," since we are so in debt to China that we cannot afford to pay the interest on our loans...

2. Capitalism is great for pulling nations into modern industrial society. But it has a life span. Once a society has reached the pinnacle of what capitalism can create for it, its a slow, sad fall to an uncertain depth. 200 or more years from now, societies will be reading in their history books about the decline of traditional capitalist societies, much like we read about the fall of Rome.

3. I like the idea of society looking out for the poor, as the poor is always the vast majority, and humanity is often overlooked by the public and the government. In the speech I posted, Kropotkin's account of how the poor work their whole life long and have nothing to show for it, while the rich, once it is obtained by whatever means, can sit back and watch their money grow, is not so far from reality.

Regarding socialism or communism - they have been tried in several efforts throughout history. The USA's perception is stained by the Japanese in WWII. However, the Chinese are communist, and if we don't play our cards right we'll all be paying for things with Yen in short order...
I think the trick is, like many things, to take what has shown to be good, try things that might prove to be good, and discard the rest... For instance, I know of several parts of europe that have a somewhat socialized healthcare program, where doctors actually get bonuses the less often they see their patients...or, in other terms, financial compensation for healthier patients...compare that to our healthcare system in the USA, where doctors make more money the more often they see their patients...Makes you think, doesn't it?