What's your definition of failing at capitalism? I know there are bunch of people criticizing the state of capitalism, but what's the alternative? Is there a different system that's significantly better than the US's "failed capitalism". Is Frence trouble free with it's 35 work hours and is French more enlightened? Is Singapore with its strict government control better than the US' way of capitalism? Has Canada with it's high taxes and government planning produced better results, both in economic and quality of life?
Let's face it, there is no utopia and human is flawed. We do the best we can but there will always be problems in any system. We can have bunch of "thinkers" sitting there and criticize the system, but until you can show people a different system that works and produces better result, all the talks are just hot air.
Heh, there have been many iterations of capitalism in the US in terms of regulation. The recent crisis is not the first time you have a problem with the system. After the S&L crisis, you got the FIRREA act of 1989. After Enron, you got your Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002. I am sure after this crisis, there will be another act that regulates the hedge fund and financial instrument more closely.
US capitalism is not deregulated. It just doesn't regulate (or reguate closely) everything under the sun. When there is problem with particular area, people look closer and add regulation. And I disagree that the system has failed. Only one area of the system has failed. US technology sector which is part of the capitalism is still thriving for example.
The question is if you want to regulate everything under the sun to avoid once in 5~10 years failure, but slow the entire system, or just regulate when problems occures and let the rest of the system thrive and stay deregulated.
Have you seen the new hand held LED devise on TV that cures pain. A beautiful young girl puts it on her hand. It is curved to fit the hand ergonomically and then with blue and red LEDs blazing she passes it over her body magically killing all of the pain.
I ordered one and sent it to my dear friend BoberFett hoping his use of it will cure the pain in my ass.
It's FDA approved.
I ordered one and sent it to my dear friend BoberFett hoping his use of it will cure the pain in my ass.
It's FDA approved.
You fail at capitalism when you habitually make economically poor decisions and we have a country full of people making them. I don't want a different system, I simply want the system we have with smarter consumers and less coercion.
Maybe unless the food is dieseased due to lack of proper cultivation or pest control. Of course you also live in a 3rd world dump with 3rd world medical care and a 3rd world water supply.
I wouldnt say the processed foods are the problem. The problem is our standard of living has become such that we live very inactive lives. Sitting around a desk all day consuming a 1000 calorie lunch for cheap. We are all guilty of it. But unless we want to head back to the 17 and 1800s where we are all share croppers working the fields. This is what our plate looks like.
Please you are acting as if the entire system is done and never produced a damn thing. We had more regulation and govt intervention in the 1970s and that failed as well. There is no magic pill or combination that will stop the economic cycle of boom and bust. It is all an ongoing giant experiment.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
- 0
I read this. It was decent. It's true that there are few options for many of us. I can work 40+ or not at all. There are very limited options for most to work 30 hours/week even if they didn't want the extra money. Most are such greedy money hogs, though, that they use everything they have so a reduction in pay would start causing undue stress for them. Personally when I hear about state workers getting unpaid furloughs I think damn that sounds like a nice idea. I would work less for less money at this point because I don't need it all and I don't need it all because I have not centered my life on buying everything I can, chasing that pitifully unsuccessful path toward meaning and happiness.
If you look at Moore's law as it applies not only to computing power, but the growth of scientific knowledge in general, and in particular the asymptotic nature of the graph, does that not suggest a point not too far off when the intellect to handle technological advancement and design will have to be handed off to computers. At the point where machines outpace human capacity only they will be able to maintain and advance our rate of change. It strikes me that it is potentially possible for the entire human race to be out of work in almost no time.
Remember the story of the man who was given a wish by his king and he asked for a grain of wheat to be doubled on each square of the chess board, a request the king naturally thought would be no trouble to meet.
n yusef
Platinum Member
- Feb 20, 2005
- 2,158
- 1
- 0
If TV commercials work for them, then they should do them. I'm disappointed in the consumers who are influenced by them. I would hope that people would do more research on such an expensive purchase. I would hope that everyone in the market for a Mercedes already knows what they are. After someone test drives a Benz, a BMW and an Audi, does the Benz commercial still influence their purchase? If yes, is it OK to call them an idiot?
Other commercials that disappoint me are ones for specialized commercial tools, like servers or copiers. I would hope that purchases of this magnitude would be evaluated objectively by professionals, who shouldn't be swayed by thirty seconds of video.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
- 0
You may be right, but that's the same argument we've heard since the industrial revolution. However, just because they got it wrong then doesn't mean they will continue to. I think ultimately as long as people want to work there will still be work for them in areas computers cannot do like perhaps some creative or other areas. As it is now computers can do a great deal they are not doing and they are not doing it simply because of cost/benefit ratio (like flipping burgers). However, if we reach that point perhaps staying in work won't really matter because we'll all be issued robot assistants when we're born who will do everything and we can live in leisure.
There is literally no practical argument for buying these cars to begin with, so if a person doesn't buy them for more shallow reasons like appearance or bragging rights why bother to begin with?
I bet you hate drug commercials then
I sure do.Commercials that tell me to eat KFC because it's yummy or buy a new car because it's cool are crap. I like commercials that teach me about a new product like a dyson vacuum cleaner. Those at least add some value to my knowledge.
Well you dont know if the commcerical actually influiences the sale. You only know it puts the product out there to gain the interest of potential buyers. Ultimately most people will test drive the vehicle and decide if they liek it or not regardless of the commercial.
LunarRay
Diamond Member
- Mar 2, 2003
- 9,993
- 1
- 76
If only the folks in these 'third world' countries were not dying off due to starvation from a lack of this fine food we might have a model to follow... But, I do agree that opening a Starbucks and McDonald's might not be a wise investment even though the consumption of such as they offer would be welcomed they don't often wear shoes and you gotta maintain a clean consumption environment.
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