Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: tejek who wrote (267383)	1/20/2006 6:49:02 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (3) of 1573561

Yes they are capitalists. They aren't capitalism. Capitalists are major actors in a capitalist system. They are not the system, they certainly aren't the ideas and philosophy behind the system. WTF Tim. Capitalists are the human embodiment of capitalism just as Americans are the human embodiment of America. Capitalism is about free market transactions of goods and services. Capitalists act in a relatively free market but their interest is in making money not in the capitalist system in an abstract sense. They frequently argue for and often get special benefits from the government, or restrictions that hurt their competitors. They aren't "capitalism". The idea is not the same as the people. And the concrete reality of a real world capitalist market requires a lot more than big capitalists. You have workers, consumers, ect. Before capitalism, Russians had few choices in the market place and did very little consumption. Yes poor people in heavily controlled economies don't tend to consume a lot. That is a pretty much unmitigated bad thing about those economies and doesn't in any way reflect negatively on wealthy free market economies. I am not blaming capitalism necessarily or entirely, but this transition from limited to many choices is literally killing people in Russia. Since the USSR fell apart, the lifespan of the average Russian has decreased dramatically. The lifespan of the average Russian was apparently declining for some time. The statistics from Russia were not and probably still aren't very reliable. Also Russia is not a strongly capitalist society. At least not in the sense that I am using the term capitalist. Apparently you are defining the word a system where capitalists operate. I am using it to mean something more like "a free market economy". It was an affront to every person starving or subsisting in the Phillippines. She knew that but still capitalism allowed/justified her need to feed her fetish. So your problem is that capitalism allows people to spend to excess? That's not much of a problem in my opinion. Other systems allow the ruling class to spend to excess as well as I pointed out. Capitalism extends this ability beyond the ruling class because it gives wealth and freedom to more people. Giving wealth and freedom to more people is a good thing not a bad one. She certainly consumed less as a percentage of the economy and almost certainly consumed less as a multiple of the consumption of the people around her. Is that how you've learned to sleep at night? I am sure Marcos adopted a similar tactic. It has nothing to do with sleeping at night. It would be extremely weird to have a problem sleeping at night even if she did consume a larger percentage of her countries economy than the Pharaohs did. Why should either of us care that Imelda bought a lot of shoes? Also it really wasn't the free market that enabled her to buy all those shoes. Apparently her husband stole most of his wealth. Not very different than what rulers in ancient times did except it was probably legal for the rulers in ancient times (some ancient rulers had the legal or customary right to take anything they wanted), while the Marcos' acted illegally but didn't (at least for a long time) have any repercussions because no investigation would go forward without their approval. Consuming isn't the same as alcoholism, at least not for the vast majority of people. Yes, it is. There are 12 step programs to help people who are addicted to shopping just as there are 12 step programs for alcoholism. I said for the vast majority of people. Yes there are some "spendaholics" but they are a tiny fraction of consumers. For most. "Consuming" isn't like "alcoholism". "Out of control compulsive consuming is perhaps somewhat like alcoholism", but you were not criticizing ""Out of control compulsive consumption" but rather "consumption." You keep ignoring a major premise of capitalism........the need for consumption.....that's how capitalism thrives. The need for consumption isn't a premise of capitalism. Its a basic reality of our existence and even the existence of bacteria. You have to consume to live. Capitalism is a free market system where you have more wealth so you can consume more. Once again that is a good thing not a bad thing. Tim

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next