- Capitalism and Alternatives -

Is democracy the problem then?

In Reply to: feudalism for the good of the poeple posted by Gee on March 23, 1999 at 14:48:49:

Gee, are you not in favor of democracy?

Suppose you live in a country where resources can be devoted to education or to guns. Let's assume that you believe schools are better than guns.
How do you make your preference felt?
In a capitalist society, you would ahve to make a lot of money and then use this money to buy schools instead of guns. In a democracy, you would vote in favor of schools, and if you were in the majority, the government would build schools instead of guns.
Now, in a socialist society, you are guaranteed taht your preference will be noted, although it may easily be outweighed by the "majority". In a capitalist society, if you succeed in becoming wealthy, your preference can easily be put into effect- but first you ahve to become rich.
2 questions.
1)In which case do you think you have a better chance of your preferences getting registered? 2)If you do become rich, do you think taht the process of becoming wealthy might possibly compromise or constrain you in some way so as to prevent you from supporting schools instead of guns? E.g. if you made computers and your major buyer was the military, etc.
This is an honest question, if you still think that you would have a better chance of getting your views effected under capitalsim, then you are entitled to that opinion.
As an aside, I think your criticisms of socialism are based on teh princiuples of sociualism rather than on the "effects". You seem to be arguing not that socialism is impractical but that it is undesirable in rpinciple. I respect that, because I'm sick and tired of hearing about socialism not working., If it's allowed to work, then it works, history shows that. the real question, which you addrress, is whether socialism is the ideal form- e.g. does something else woirk better.

Follow Ups:

• in its unlimited form yes. Gee si March 26 1999 (0)