Capitalismvssocialism

[Will]

None taken. I'm 25, have my degree, have a decent job, and I'm debt free (pats self on the back). I know how rare it is for someone at 25 in the US to be free of debt, especially considering how expensive college is getting. I'm very fortunate that I was taught to live below my means.

The most important thing I feel I can teach is it's not enough to just watch out for yourself... as members of a society we're all interdependent. My staying out of debt didn't prevent the devaluation of the US dollars in my savings account or the drop off in the value of my home. It won't protect me from my bank failing or from the high taxes that will eventually come of all the government spending.

Unless I move to Canada...

[VanReal]

The most important thing I feel I can teach is it's not enough to just watch out for yourself... as members of a society we're all interdependent. My staying out of debt didn't prevent the devaluation of the US dollars in my savings account or the drop off in the value of my home. It won't protect me from my bank failing or from the high taxes that will eventually come of all the government spending.

There's still hope for your generation.

I like that, the reminder of our "interdependence".  I think that is where we go wrong.  In addition to being lazy and entitled individually we forget that it does have a direct affect on the whole.  The fact that we won't look out for ourselves and certainly lack social responsibility makes it even more unlikley of a fair socialist system.  Of course there are many people that are very responsibility, both for themselves and others, but as a whole I don't think humans are (at this moment in time anyway).  I mean right now I could be out volunteering somewhere or maybe not sitting at home on the computer and watching tv when I should be at work:)

Don't remind me about college.  My son leaves for San Francisco this time next year and I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to swing that.

[MattParsons]

(2)GLOBAL CAPITALISM. The merits of this are obvious. Take care of our selves and we, personally, will have much more physical wealth(At the cost perhaps of losing some part of our humanity in that we are abandoning virtues like compassion and good will.). We'd just ignore refugees and impoverished peoples from other countries and let them take care of themselves(Or starve to death). In favor of this I state that by sending aid we force them into a state of dependancy on us(A sort of crutch). Their population will likely keep growing and after a few years be right back in its initial state of need(What if we could no longer send aid after a time? They'd be in worse shape than they were to start with.). So long as they are unwilling to stifle their population growth(Through cultural change, taking individual responsibility, or by government mandate.(This may be a very bad thing on the level of individual freedom but look at the potential gains to be made by the society as a whole.)) any aid we send is really just delaying the inevitable(A crisis point being reached. The solution(Pressure valve) usually chosen by a culture is war(Invasion of another country) or civil war(Genocides). Some ancient Polynesion cultures would actually send off young couples in a canoe(Most of them died). Its how they colonized so many far flung islands.). I'm asserting that their problems have a root in their own inability to manage their available resources(They allow themselves to outgrow them). There may not be anything we can do to help them really in the long run.

A hilariously uninformed opinion of capitalism.  What does capitalism ( effectively, that force and violence can't be used to control people/the economy ) have to do with "abandoning virtues like compassion and good will"?

[SektionTen]

Just a short post before I leave for the play, I find that both Capitalism and Socialism take a backseat in importance to education and diversity of opinion(tolerance of diversity is good too.) I have to go now, but perhaps someone else can ponder this and argue it in my place until I return tommorrow? Thanks.

[Will]

I think it's cute how you think 25 is young, hehe.  

[SektionTen]

Ok. Let me explain my previous post. First, however, a little background:

Historically, I find it hard to believe that the majority of any population of any nation state deserves as much wealth as the educated minority. The masses, in my opinion, are ignorant, superstitious, and socially conditioned to believe government propaganda much too easily. It this fact that makes me fear democracy in it's original sense, which was essentially mob rule. For an example, how would you feel if our science education curriculum was put to a vote of everyone in the US? Would you really be comfortable with the vast majority of ignorant christians determining what goes into science curriculum?

In america, it is fairly easy to become upper class. In fact, almost all of the richest people in america are people who were educated enough to provide value directly to their customers and shrewd enough to invest their money for interest rather than spending it on goods. And especially in america, you shouldn't be concerned about the top 1%. If you look at the data, you'll find that the wealthiest of people are also the most educated, with the exception of movie stars who get rich off of the accumulated money of the ignorant.

If you look at Nation states, the trend is there as well: All the industrialized modern nations have the most educated population. Though, I'll admit america is falling away in this respect. Our education levels are falling, and so is our economy.

The absolutely most important aspect to a countries' wealth is the rise of education. Period. The second most important aspect that is essential to a countrie's wealth AND Prosperity, is minority rights

Those are the two big ones. Some people might worry about socialism or capitalism, but neither of that matters much when you consider that a healthy standard of living can be acquired by both systems for all people. But neither Capitalism nor socialism will produce much wealth at all if the population is not educated.