DWQA QuestionsCategory: Problems in SocietyIs capitalism non-divine, or a corrupted system that may have faults but is better than the alternatives for the present world?
Nicola Staff asked 3 years ago
We have discussed before, the current thinking of those who would overturn the established order with a capitalist focus and substitute socialism, and the pitfalls it represents as a false answer because it is a wolf in sheep's clothing that takes away the liberty of the individual and surrenders it to the state. When all governments are controlled by interlopers, and the seductiveness of power always means that those who hold the reins will engage in abuses that may grow to become not only harsh, but even reaching the level of being genocidal in their consequences, institutions are only as good as those who run them. When all people are corrupted, you can be sure that any institution will be faulty. People talk blithely, about “unbridled capitalism” as though it needs a bridle, a series of restrictions and limitations, and perhaps punishments, which is certainly an apt description when so many are wanting to overthrow the established order and have done so in many countries, by seizing private property, and especially industry, so it is run by the state and all proceeds go to the central government, many times to line the pockets of the powerful. And the whole system backfires when it turns out that government largess falls short of supplying everyone's needs after all. This is because when a government system creates too broad a safety net, this disempowers people who will no longer wish to work if the government provides the benefits they most need. Then there is no way to tax earnings to keep the government going, and even keeping the industries functional cannot be supported by the government alone, and then everything breaks down. So the answer to capitalism is not socialism or some other construct, but a kind of hybrid, where human liberty is assured, as is the case through the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but there are some checks and balances and the recognition by society some will be in need despite themselves, through having impairments and overwhelming liabilities too much for anyone. So there must be a collective effort to provide for such individuals through social programs, to which all must contribute to make things work. But to have an entire economy run by the government, where all money flows through them, is doomed to fail and this has been shown again and again through history. The idea of socialism has appeal on its face, but when you dig deep deeper to see the agenda that is followed to put it into operation, there will always be an overthrowing destruction of the established order, and in the doing, will create divisions that are unbridgeable among people. The warring factions will become permanently entrenched, and this makes an unworkable society that causes more harm and wrongdoing, and the problem will grow until a point is reached where the government powers become threatened, and then the killing will be launched to preserve order and preserve the reigning power structure. And there will be no way to address grievances and right the wrongs, because that will be seen as a threat to the established order and will be crushed. There is no way back from such a system once it is implemented, other than through war and death. This, too, has been borne out again and again in the real world. So be careful what you wish for in criticizing capitalism as simply a folly of oppressors seeking victims to exploit. There are ways to keep a balance, and it is the best one can do in a world of corruption where people cannot be relied on to be egalitarian and put humanitarian considerations first and foremost. Any other way to run things, by removing incentives and a reward to the individual for their hard work, creativity, and initiative, will fall apart because it perpetuates a state of imbalance humans will not be able to tolerate, and it is non-divine. The capitalist system can achieve a balanced system of self-reward while seeing to the needs of others along the way. So there can be workers who are taxed to serve the needs of all, through a government taxation system, if this is done on a reasonable scale so people can earn a living and the people at the top are not too greatly exploiting the workers. That can be ameliorated through social pressures and democratic reforms, short of abolishing the entire economic system of freedom with surrender to totalitarianism, which, in the end, serves no one, because even the powerful elites who line their pockets will have a terrible karmic consequence to pay from their greed and insensitivity to the suffering of others.