17th March 2010, 10:10 PM
Darunia Wrote:I used to be a total laissez faire conservative. In recent months, though, my long-standing hatred of the patricians and the wealthy and my naturally-occuring humility and compassion for my fellow man have been sliding the notch of my political spectrometer to the left a little.
I know well the difference between capitalism and communism, and IMO the latter cannot practically be employed in society. Even if it could, it should not be, because it allows no room for the hard-working individual to succeed in society. I liked capitalism because, in theory, it allows the hard-working person to get ahead, and leaves the loafers in the dust. But, I don't know anymore. More and more, I see that it leaves everyone but the evil in the dust. To get ahead, you really do just have to be shamefully greedy and self-oriented.
Thoughts?
Socialism is the answer. More government, like they do in Europe. That's the only way to keep the excesses of capitalism under control. I do think that something in between is best. Capitalism when it goes too far, as it has in America at times, is cruel and heartless... but communism is impossible and relies on human nature being completely different from the way it is, as you said.
I mean, really... how does Marx's original concept of communism really go?
1. Revolution
2. Dictatorship "of the people"
3. ???
4. The government withers away
5. Perfect anarchy
... Yeah, I can't imagine why in reality nobody ever got past step 2. .
Of course, as with everything, when you go too far on either end you end up with somewhat similar results. Look at how Nazis and Communists are theoretically polar opposite groups, but sure do look pretty similar in practice... similarly doesn't absolute capitalism also have a withered state, except there it's corporations running everything I guess instead of everyone just living without the need for a government or something?
... Yeah, I can't think of any way to make communism's supposed goal sound possible in any kind of human society. In practice what happens is you get a giant state that owns everything. In contrast, capitalism's goal is possible. It has almost no state but all-powerful corporations. I think most people would agree that that's not exactly a good thing either...
It is hard to create the right balance between government and private enterprise, but unless we somehow go the way of the Federation (if that society is plausible, I've never studied it in depth really), it's really the only way.