Excellent post Seeker! Just another reminder why you are at the top of my Smart-friends list.
Warmest regards,
Julie
Real Economic Security? Some Politics
by Valentine 13 Replies latest jw friends
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Julie
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gravedancer
Seeker - I agree with some of what you said:
The U.S. is closer to socialism than capitalism. Foreign goods made better and cheaper than U.S. goods? Stick tariffs on the foreign goods. Major automaker about to go out of business? Congress bails them out. Farmers get paid by the government to grow crops. Cities give "incentives" (cash) to companies to get them to stay within the cities tax roles. Capitalism? Hardly!
This is one of the evidences of what I would agree is "corporate welfare". Government protection against globalized capitalism is totally in the face of true freedom - hence true capitalism. But by the same token liberals want it both ways...especially in the US. they want no "corporate welfare" but they also want protectionist actions to prevail - like the squashing of free trade, global labor forces, the protection of the American worker.People should be compensated according to the value they add. so should corporations. Government bailouts stink - they are totally in the face of true capitalism. I totally oppose them...but I also realize and accept the consequences of NOT having them.
If GM cannot build a better car than some Japanese company then may the best company win....please governement stay out.
I too oppose the whole way lobbying of governments is done by corporations (don't think it will change). But I also want it to work 2 ways...coprorations leave government alone...and governments leave corporations alone (unless their is criminal activity).
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Seeker
gravedancer,
I agree, hypocrisy on this issue can go both ways. To be fair, some people recognize that we don't live in a true capitalistic society and they like it that way. They want the government to step in and help. In this country, we saw a marked increase in this attitude post-9/11. Everybody ran to the government and said, 'Help us!' And I don't just mean militarily. There's a lot of money flowing out of Washington right now, and people want their share.
I don't know what the right approach is. Totally capitalistic, with no government involvement the way the Libertarians say? Not sure that is best. Socialistic, the way Europe is run? Not sure. But what I do know is that this issue is not as simple as some Americans make it out to be. Socialism is not near-Communism, it is what Congress practices a lot of the time without them ever focusing on it.
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gravedancer
Totally capitalistic, with no government involvement the way the Libertarians say
me too