do you think capitalism will fail? If so, what will replace it?

[Maverick]

All this corporate crap with the RIAA and MPAA got me thinking...corporations are starting to control our rights much more than the government has in recent years. I feel this is a direct result of capitalism. To put it mildly, when money talks, bullsh!t walks.

Obviously this kind of system can't work forever...every ideology has its time and eventually is replaced by something else...theocracy, feudalism, imperialism, communism...all had their times. I don't think that perfection is the ultimate goal...the ideology that civilization was most prepared for was the one that succeeded at the time. You can't expect medieval peasants to understand our capitalistic culture, just as we would quicky get fed up with their feudalism.

What do you guys think will replace capitalism?

 

[Viper GTS]

Controlling your rights?

Since when is it your right to steal music & movies?

I'm not reading the rest of that until you fix that opening.

Viper GTS

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Shiva112
All this corporate crap with the RIAA and MPAA got me thinking...corporations are starting to control our rights much more than the government has in recent years. I feel this is a direct result of capitalism. To put it mildly, when money talks, bullsh!t walks.

1) We never had the right to steal their stuff, and
2) They cannot stop us without using the court system (ie government).

As for what could replace capitalism, that is a tough question. Capitalism is easilly replaced with anarchy and dictators, but those are usually quite short lived. I think capitalism however goes right to the core of human nature - greed and protection of your stuff. Thus I see nations coming back to capitalism over and over again until human nature changes (is that even possible?)

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Controlling your rights?

Since when is it your right to steal music & movies?

I'm not reading the rest of that until you fix that opening.

Viper GTS

The RIAA and MPAA passed the DCMA. it certainly wasn't the people that pushed it through congress. Big corporations are controlling a lot of what laws pass and what don't, and in that way they ARE controllnig what rights private citizens have.

 

[Quixfire]

Free Enterprise

 

[Maverick]

I'm not talking about stealing stuff...sure it began with that now its come to gestapo crap that even threatens our PCs
Text

 

[fjorner]

capitalism has worked for 200+ years. no sense that it will 'fail'

 

[bandana163]

This belongs to P&N.
Every system fails at a point of time. As soon as the system destroys its own foundations or a potent leader emerges, the chances of radical changes rise. Plus, when people are desperate, they often turn towards extremities. Probably something new will come, but I don't think it will be soon.

 

[chasem]

The thing i like about capitalism is that it adjusts according to what the people allow it to do. If enough people didn't like RIAA etc.... they would not be there. not enough finacial support

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: notfredThe RIAA and MPAA passed the DCMA. it certainly wasn't the people that pushed it through congress. Big corporations are controlling a lot of what laws pass and what don't, and in that way they ARE controllnig what rights private citizens have.

I'm not talking about stealing stuff...sure it began with that now its come to gestapo crap that even threatens our PCs

Both of the above are cases of the government controlling our rights. Of course this was at the request of the RIAA and MPAA, but still it is the government doing the restrictions of the rights.

 

[Maverick]

Originally posted by: fjorner
capitalism has worked for 200+ years. no sense that it will 'fail'

Roman imperialism was around for over 500 years...whats your point?

 

[Maverick]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: notfredThe RIAA and MPAA passed the DCMA. it certainly wasn't the people that pushed it through congress. Big corporations are controlling a lot of what laws pass and what don't, and in that way they ARE controllnig what rights private citizens have.

I'm not talking about stealing stuff...sure it began with that now its come to gestapo crap that even threatens our PCs

Both of the above are cases of the government controlling our rights. Of course this was at the request of the RIAA and MPAA, but still it is the government doing the restrictions of the rights.

But our government supports capitalism, thats why we fought the cold war right? In a communist environment the government wouldn't give two sh!ts about the RIAA

 

[DrPizza]

RIAA and MPAA probably aren't the best examples... Then again, for those above who said they go through the court system, you're partially mistaken. RIAA has gained the right through the DMCA to by-pass the court system in demanding account information about subscribers.

Nonetheless, it would be naive of anyone to believe that our current system will continue indefinitely. I suppose one of the main reasons for taking history classes is to LEARN FROM THE PAST! Every great empire has eventually collapsed. While not wishing ours would collapse, it'd be silly to think it will last forever. However, our system seems to have enough flexibility to adapt quite a bit as things change without falling apart.

IMHO, if current trends continue - corporations gaining more power and having much more influence with those in power than the common person has, eventually the system will collapse.

This is probably a better thread for Politics than in Off Topic.

 

[Maverick]

I would've put it in politics but I was afraid it'd get turned into a Bush-bashing thread....I feel the topic has little to do with current news/politics and more with what people think could replace capitalism.

 

[Amused]

When government so heavily regulates business, business then has a vested interest in government.

We need to keep business and state separate just as we do with church and state.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Controlling your rights?

Since when is it your right to steal music & movies?

I'm not reading the rest of that until you fix that opening.

Viper GTS

DCMA

Walmart sells 1 in 4 of all CD's (I think it's 1 in 4, maybe 1 in 5) and all that have 'objectionable' lyrics are censored.

Walmart is the personification of capitalism...if you research it you will see it's a mammoth corporation and not the cheapy reseller small time business people proclaim it to be.

 

[sillymofo]

Originally posted by: fjorner
capitalism has worked for 200+ years. no sense that it will 'fail'

Throghout the human history, no civilizations or empires last forever. History will repeat itself. As for what will replace it, I don't know.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: notfredThe RIAA and MPAA passed the DCMA. it certainly wasn't the people that pushed it through congress. Big corporations are controlling a lot of what laws pass and what don't, and in that way they ARE controllnig what rights private citizens have.

I'm not talking about stealing stuff...sure it began with that now its come to gestapo crap that even threatens our PCs

Both of the above are cases of the government controlling our rights. Of course this was at the request of the RIAA and MPAA, but still it is the government doing the restrictions of the rights.

Well, don't you think the creators of the music you enjoy deserve the right to profit from providing you with something you want? The government is simply acting as an equalizer. You have the ability to steal their property with little or no chance of being held responsible for your actions. I don't think that smacks of 'Big Brother' or 'Gestapo' as you put it. Just because you don't think it's fair doesn't mean that it is.

 

[Maverick]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: notfredThe RIAA and MPAA passed the DCMA. it certainly wasn't the people that pushed it through congress. Big corporations are controlling a lot of what laws pass and what don't, and in that way they ARE controllnig what rights private citizens have.

I'm not talking about stealing stuff...sure it began with that now its come to gestapo crap that even threatens our PCs

Both of the above are cases of the government controlling our rights. Of course this was at the request of the RIAA and MPAA, but still it is the government doing the restrictions of the rights.

Well, don't you think the creators of the music you enjoy deserve the right to profit from providing you with something you want? The government is simply acting as an equalizer. You have the ability to steal their property with little or no chance of being held responsible for your actions. I don't think that smacks of 'Big Brother' or 'Gestapo' as you put it. Just because you don't think it's fair doesn't mean that it is.

I'm not condoning IP theft in any way. I just think they're handling it all in a completely WRONG way. They're trying to make something illegal just because its possible to record music/movies with it. They're talking about limiting Tivos and other PVRs...stuff thats not even connected to the internet. Its equivalent to outlawing guns because its possible to kill someone with one, or outlawing cars for the same reason. And the problem is that the government which depends on these corporations for tax dollars has become their slave.

 

[matt426malm]

I thought the United States was a Rebublic. I guess with how currupt just about everything political is you could say that it is capitalism. :-\

 

[zephyrprime]

As soon as the system destroys its own foundations or a potent leader emerges,

That's not what causes systems to fail. Systems fail when the environment changes or when someone thinks of something better.

 

[Maverick]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime

As soon as the system destroys its own foundations or a potent leader emerges,

That's not what causes systems to fail. Systems fail when the environment changes or when someone thinks of something better.

You just said the same basic thing.

 

[Nitemare]

Socialism...Too many worthless leeches with an extended handwho vote to make it to a Capitalist society

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Controlling your rights?

Since when is it your right to steal music & movies?

I'm not reading the rest of that until you fix that opening.

Viper GTS

It has never been right to steal, but since when has Law Enforcement become the domain of Private Enterprise? Not just Law enforcement either, but active(attempts) punishment without Conviction. The RIAA is little more than a mob of villagers holding pitch forks and torches, they maybe the Wealthy Villagers, but they still are a mob.

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

I think it might fail due to corporate abuses, but it's probably more likely to cycle like it did at the turn of the twentieth century, albiet far more violently.