- Capitalism and Alternatives -

ascribe horror and win the ideology war

Posted by: Gee ( si ) on September 06, 1999 at 13:09:06:

In Reply to: 'First, what is capitalism?...' posted by bill on September 02, 1999 at 11:33:20:

: First, what is capitalism? About this there is little dispute, although much disinformation. My own dictionary misdefines it as an economic system under private ownership where prices, production, and distribution are determined by "free market" forces. While this description might have been adequate in 1776 (when Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations ), 9 even Smith recognized that over time there would be a tendency for capitalism to create monopolies, fix prices at inflated rates, and operate to the benefit of society's "haves" versus the "have-nots." A more apt characterization of capitalism is as a

blah blah

Poisoning the wells is a great way to make a bad name for a word. Socialists suffer for it with the association between socialism and Dictatorial Soviet Union etc. Those who believe that free trade and private ownership are a realistic and positive means to social interaction will naturally consider 'capitalism' in its strict definition as appropriate.

So poisoning the word 'capitalism' by ascribing various fallacies and distinctly un-private horrors to it prior to a person considering its actual meaning gives an edge in an argument.

Just like when you say the word 'socialism' and people say "oh, yuk - thats them commies in Russia"


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