The Immorality of Money Printing and Why It's Driving the World To Socialism

[phil3]

Over the past 65+ years the US government has collected on average 17% of GDP in taxes. If you raises taxes 17% if you lower taxes 17%. .

 

[niceatheist]

Because placing arbitrary values on some metals somehow makes sense

 

[Convert3]

Capitalism may not be perfect, but can someone suggest a better system, where it has worked, and explain why it’s better than capitalism?

 

[Rau]

I think we agree here, there are many areas to ‘fine tune’ the system of capitalism, many subtle but important differences between countries that embrace capitalism.

Yes, but more than that. I think the available tuning is more than merely “fine”. And these differences emerge in the same country over time.

Stop pretending you don’t understand common analogies.

I wasn’t pretending. I just thought the analogy, which collapses the complex economic system to a simple tidal process to be overly simplistic. We can’t do much about the impact of tides on boats. But we can influence the impact of the economic system on people.

 

[phil3]

It is not arbitrary.

 

[phil3]

I wasn’t pretending. I just thought the analogy, which collapses the complex economic system to a simple tidal process to be overly simplistic. We can’t do much about the impact of tides in boats. But we can influence the impact of the economic system on people.

Government have been trying for centuries and it hasnt worked so far. Wait I take that back. Government trying to control the economy as to control the impact on people works, but just works out badly for the people.

 

[Rau]

Government have been trying for centuries and it hasnt worked so far. Wait I take that back. Government trying to control the economy as to control the impact on people works, but just works out badly for the people.

Governments exercises all manner of controls in the economy. I doubt there is an economy in the world where it does not.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

That doesn’t mean its working just that it is better to a certain extant.

 

[Theo520]

I wasn’t pretending. I just thought the analogy, which collapses the complex economic system to a simple tidal process to be overly simplistic.

But isn’t that the whole purpose of analogies, to simplify something overly complex into something simple to visualize and understand?

 

[Rau]

But isn’t that the whole purpose of analogies, to simplify something overly complex into something simple to visualize and understand?

Not if important distinctions are thereby concealed.

 

[Theo520]

I’m asking if that is the standard by which we are to judge whether or not Capitalism is “working”

So instead of improving the lives of the poor, what are you proposing as a standard? . . .

 

[DIERM]

The poor are far far better off in the countries that have embraced capitalism.

A claim often made by those who are not “the poor”; but being “far better off” under one economic system doesn’t give any comfort to the “better off” poor.

 

[Freddy]

Freddy:

So capitalism is the problem because it’s not working. And the rich get richer and the poor poorer. Sounds about right to me.

How is capitalism not working?
The poor are far far better off in the countries that have embraced capitalism.

It doesn’t work in regard to the distribution of wealth. I’m not saying that capitalism in itself is bad. But it can lead to what we might describe as bad results.

 

[Theo520]

A claim often made by those who are not “the poor”; but being “far better off” under one economic system doesn’t give any comfort to the “better off” poor.

I get it, you care more about the gap than the actual conditions. We disagree.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

If there is no gap the poor should be better off since money doesn’t just disappear.

 

[Freddy]

DIERM:

A claim often made by those who are not “the poor”; but being “far better off” under one economic system doesn’t give any comfort to the “better off” poor.

I get it, you care more about the gap than the actual conditions. We disagree.

I think that everyone disagrees. Including Dierm and Rau, to whom you made a similar statement. People don’t worry about the gap per se. It’s simply an indication that the system isn’t working. That there isn’t anywhere near a fair enough distribution of wealth. Which does NOT make anyone who points that out a communist or even a socialist.

Some people have more than they need and some people have less. I think everyone could agree to that. How we solve that problem is the problem itself.

 

[boldlygo]

Some people have more than they need and some people have less. I think everyone could agree to that. How we solve that problem is the problem itself.

Could it be that personal responsibility is a big part of the problem? Stop having children out of wedlock. Don’t get married until you have a decent job, and can afford the necessities. Start with things you need, not with things you want. Unemployment rates are at almost historic lows…anyone who wants to work can work, but for some, ‘work’ is just a four-letter word.
Is capitalism perfect? Of course not, but it’s the best we’ve seen so far, and it’s a good system as long as it goes hand-in-hand with personal responsibility.

 

[phil3]

People in this country would be much better off in a pure capitalistic economy

 

[Freddy]

Freddy:

Some people have more than they need and some people have less. I think everyone could agree to that. How we solve that problem is the problem itself.

Could it be that personal responsibility is a big part of the problem? Stop having children out of wedlock. Don’t get married until you have a decent job, and can afford the necessities. Start with things you need, not with things you want. Unemployment rates are at almost historic lows…anyone who wants to work can work, but for some, ‘work’ is just a four-letter word.
Is capitalism perfect? Of course not, but it’s the best we’ve seen so far, and it’s a good system as long as it goes hand-in-hand with personal responsibility.

Unemployment is not the problem in itself. But if the difference in wages between two working guys, one flipping burgers and the other a venture capitalist goes beyond a certain point, then we have a problem.

If you’re pulling down around seven bucks an hour then you’re never going to get to the point where you CAN afford everything you need.

So where does the money come from? Well, it’s already in the system. But the guy who is pocketing a few hundred an hour is obviously pocketing most of it. If you think that’s acceptable then capitalism in the purest form is your kinda system.

 

[Theo520]

If there is no gap the poor should be better off since money doesn’t just disappear.

Yes it does, look at Venezuela.

It’s not money per se,
it’s the aggregate goods and services generated.

Countries that have closed the gap as their priority of policy tend to reduce their output. The pie may have more equal sized slices, but it’s far smaller.