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Originally Posted by Willravel
Low income. Poor education. Poor housing. Poor health. All caused by capitalism, all are the genesis of the cycle of poverty.
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Precapitalist societies were not bastions of fine education, housing and health, Will. Capitalism has raised the floor and expectations in each of those categories. When we say now that someone has poor housing it's a <i>relative</i> term. They're not in caves, they're not in corrugated shacks - they're in what was 150 years ago luxury housing (at least in NY that's the case).
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Originally Posted by Willravel
I know it's frustrating, but you have to admit that without a larger umbrella of control some people will be taken advantage of and will be left behind. Capitalism, unchecked, leads to corporatocracy, which is a form of economic fascism.
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False. Concentration of power in the govt leads to fascism. Departure from markets (by seeking govt favor) increases govt power and could lead to fascism. Regulation leads to concentration of economic power because it raises barriers to entry. Govt tends to try to increase its own power, and that's why corps end up lobbying and making contributions - it's protection money. Remember, it's the govt that has the guns.
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Originally Posted by willravel
That's a false choice.
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Oh yeah? Then why was the USSR such a marvelous economic engine if that's the case? The US has the richest poor people in the recorded history of mankind. Poverty level today exceeds in living standard what middle class people had in 1900. The reason for that is capitalism.
If you would look at how well off people are rather than fetishizing economic equality you'd understand that the greatest emancipator from misery in history is capitalism.