: If, as you said below,you think taht the problems with capitalism are due to government interference, then how do you explain all the slaughters carried out by private companeis in places like the Congo Free State, Brazil, Nigeria, Paraguay, or New Guinea. These were all COMPNIES doing the killing, not governments.Quite simply: If what you say is true, then they are criminals and should prosecuted.
Government holds an exclusive monopoly on the use of force. Any private citizen who initiates force against another person is a criminal. It is important to note that in any society, criminals are a small minority. Were these companies you speak of just idiscriminately killing innocent civilians? Or were they protecting their property? Was force initiated against them? Or are they just the garden-variety-hand-wringing-rich-white-baby-seal-clubbing-kill-innocent-people-for-oil-rape-and-pillage capitalist you like to fantasize about from your ivory tower on Make-believe Lane?
The Free Market is a Goddam amazing thing. On a national level, a State level and on a personal level. I live in the upper mid-west (no big surprise) where it is very hard to grow oranges. However, we grow corn like champions. Florida can't grown corn for shit but they have oranges falling out of their pie-holes. Each state specializes in their area of expertise and creates enough for everyone. If we had to spend our time growing shitty oranges in the frozen North it would take time away from growing corn, raise the price of said corn and lower its availability. We benefit huge from trade. A group of people is invariably smarter than any one person in that group.
On a personal level, I benefit by trading my labor for an agreed upon salary. I happen to be good at taking pictures and have chosen to make photography my life's work. My boss benefits from my labor. I benefit from the salary I am paid in turn. Where's the flaw in that? I have a job I love. I dig going to work every day. I've never called in sick or missed a day of work(my duty to the party I suppose) but if I need the time off, it is mine to take. Sure I could make more money doing the same thing in a larger, commercial studio, and I would dig that too. But I really love the 'Filthy-white-evil-doing-capitalists' you would say exploit me for my labor. Yes, my boss makes much more money than I do, he also has considerably more risks involved. If it all went south tomorrow I could find another job that day, I gaurantee it. He would have to rebuild from scratch. He deserves more. He's earned it. And I'm every bit the capitalist he is.
It is important to note that I am not a special case. There are many, many people like myself who adore their work and are appalled at the notion of it being subverted by some crack-induced-fantasy like this statist notion of 'job ratation.' If you want equality, you support the free market. That is the great equilizer. Granted, things won't always go smoothly. The US is not exactly a coffee growers heaven. Much of South America is. When we wish to trade soy, corn or whatever with a government who will not allow the money and produce to trickle-down to the people responsible for its production, problems will occur. I have no idea how to fix that, what I do know, is that capitalism has worked for me and every single other person I know personally. The opposite of capitalism is any statist movement, not unlike the one's (DFL, liberals,socialists) pulling America to the left, inreasing the size of government-and its power-and making it,in point of fact, more fascist.
(i.e. one needs a government permit to excersize 2nd amendment rights, improve one's property(home, lawn etc) or even to catch a stinkin' fish)
This is not a treatise on economics. As I said, I take pictures for a living. I am not an historian or a scholar. I am a 25 year old capitalist. Let me have it.
None.
