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rtwngAvngr said:What is restricted capitalism? Do you think our current form is restriced enough? If not, what restrictions do you think need to be in place. And by "restriction" do you mean excessive taxation?
Hobbit said:I think he means things like anti-trust laws and minimum wage. In an ideal capitalistic system, the businesses will play fair and there would be no need for such things, but these account for the possibility of unethical companies.
wade said:Unrestricted capitalism is capitalism that does not used controls to prevent negative outcomes. In some cases, controls are in the form of regulations, which prevent things like excessive pollution, dangerous products, or dangerous workplaces. In other cases, it is in the form of tariffs or other trade restrictions to prevent market differentials, such as the difference in the cost of living between the USA and China, from destroying long term industries because of short situations.
Left unrestricted, the inevitable result of capitalism is that one (or a very few) person will own everything and everyone else will barely scrape by (if they can even do that).
wade said:Unrestricted capitalism is capitalism that does not used controls to prevent negative outcomes. In some cases, controls are in the form of regulations, which prevent things like excessive pollution, dangerous products, or dangerous workplaces. In other cases, it is in the form of tariffs or other trade restrictions to prevent market differentials, such as the difference in the cost of living between the USA and China, from destroying long term industries because of short situations.
Left unrestricted, the inevitable result of capitalism is that one (or a very few) person will own everything and everyone else will barely scrape by (if they can even do that).
Bonnie said:In light of all that is going on in the world, do you believe we are living in the last decade or century? Or has the world pendulum always swung back and forth?
onedomino said:We are near the beginning of the world.
Bonnie said:In light of all that is going on in the world, do you believe we are living in the last decade or century? Or has the world pendulum always swung back and forth?
The problem is the most recent years. Civilization has definitely made huge leaps and bounds in the last couple thousand years. But, let's look at the last hundred years. Remember that "morality" does not just encompass killing others. 100 years ago, national patriotism was great. 50 years ago, absolute respect to elders and leaders began diminishing. 30 years ago, the idea of rights and privileges became more important than responsibility and accountability. 15 years ago, PG and PG-13 movies were no longer safe for kids. 10 years ago, sex became public commonplace. 7 years ago, the president was playing around with another woman in the white house. 5 years ago the Boy Scouts of America came under heavy fire for not allowing openly gays in the organization. Now, gay marriage is legal in some places, and monday night football is opened with a sexual innuendo where a woman strips in front of a football player.hylandrdet said:50 years ago, you can kill blacks; 100 years ago, your could kill your wife; 200 years ago, you can kill someone over an argument; 400 years ago, you can kill someone because they are acting "strange". 800 years ago, you can kill someone because they had spoken out of turn. 1600 years ago, you can kill someone because it makes for great entertainment; after that, well it's simply, "Me Igor! You take food from me, I kill you".
How can anyone ignore how far we'd come over the centuries? We are morally stronger NOW than ever before; it doesn't seem that way because people are paying more attention to NOW, instead of comparing "NOW" to "THEN".
Shazbot said:The problem is the most recent years. Civilization has definitely made huge leaps and bounds in the last couple thousand years. But, let's look at the last hundred years. Remember that "morality" does not just encompass killing others. 100 years ago, national patriotism was great. 50 years ago, absolute respect to elders and leaders began diminishing. 30 years ago, the idea of rights and privileges became more important than responsibility and accountability. 15 years ago, PG and PG-13 movies were no longer safe for kids. 10 years ago, sex became public commonplace. 7 years ago, the president was playing around with another woman in the white house. 5 years ago the Boy Scouts of America came under heavy fire for not allowing openly gays in the organization. Now, gay marriage is legal in some places, and monday night football is opened with a sexual innuendo where a woman strips in front of a football player.
Anyone who says that today's society is making moral progress is either blind or dreaming. Don't forget that taking another person's life is not the only basis of right and wrong.
-Douglas
hylandrdet said:I watch the Appentice tonight and I saw very interesting.
Donald Trump attacked a person who was a national debating champion because he doesn't speak up. The contestant responded by saying that great debators listen more often than they speak.
My strategy is similar; I pay attention to detail before I speak.
50 years ago, you can kill blacks; 100 years ago, your could kill your wife; 200 years ago, you can kill someone over an argument; 400 years ago, you can kill someone because they are acting "strange". 800 years ago, you can kill someone because they had spoken out of turn. 1600 years ago, you can kill someone because it makes for great entertainment; after that, well it's simply, "Me Igor! You take food from me, I kill you".
How can anyone ignore how far we'd come over the centuries? We are morally stronger NOW than ever before; it doesn't seem that way because people are paying more attention to NOW, instead of comparing "NOW" to "THEN".
I personally don't care, for I am confident that I will be very much dead before this happens. However, I do fear for my children's children.
To answer your question, pay attention to what's going on in Iran, N. Korea and Russia. Most important, pay attention on how we handle those situations.
Avatar4321 said:What the freakin heck are you talking about? We just finished the bloodiest century in the history of the world. We live in an age when women can kill their children and have it considered a right. we live in a time where people can hear about genocide in Africa and sit around and debate whether we should stop it rather than getting off their butts and stopping it. We live in a day an age where hard work is punished, laziness is praised. We reward people for being irresponsible and punish those who take risks and succeed in life.
You my friend must live in a fantasy world. Everyday people are killed because they are a different race from others. Everyday women are beaten and killed because have opinions. yet when we liberate them we are the bad guys. People are still killing others over food. Simply because life is good in the United States doesnt mean the rest of the world doesnt have its problems. Yet if the US or any Christian tries to help people live a better life we are the evil ones forcing ourselves on the world.
No my friend, we live in one of the worst ages of man. Yet conversely we also live in the best age. Because the world sinks into the dark abyss, the righteous will shine forth bright as the sun and clear as the moon. There is much reason to hope. But to pretend we are somehow better or superior then our ancestors, that we know better than all the generations that came before us is the first step into the destruction they wisely avoided.
Shazbot said:The problem is the most recent years. Civilization has definitely made huge leaps and bounds in the last couple thousand years. But, let's look at the last hundred years. Remember that "morality" does not just encompass killing others. 100 years ago, national patriotism was great. 50 years ago, absolute respect to elders and leaders began diminishing. 30 years ago, the idea of rights and privileges became more important than responsibility and accountability. 15 years ago, PG and PG-13 movies were no longer safe for kids. 10 years ago, sex became public commonplace. 7 years ago, the president was playing around with another woman in the white house. 5 years ago the Boy Scouts of America came under heavy fire for not allowing openly gays in the organization. Now, gay marriage is legal in some places, and monday night football is opened with a sexual innuendo where a woman strips in front of a football player.
Anyone who says that today's society is making moral progress is either blind or dreaming. Don't forget that taking another person's life is not the only basis of right and wrong.
-Douglas
hylandrdet said:Dude, I'm keeping this simple; do your research on the Crusades and the Roman Empire; while you're at it, go see Alexander in the theaters.
I'm sorry if I offend you, but I don't buy the idea that our morality is degenerating.
Avatar4321 said:Dude, you a frickin idiot i have a degree in European history, you are totally off. This past century was the bloodiest in history. To say we are somehow better than our ancestors is ridiculous. honestly i think we are about the same. the evils they faced are just magnified in our culture by the communication boom and the ability to travel easier. Likewise the good that existed in the past is magnified by the same elements.
My argument is that our morality is essentially the same. you are the one asserting that our morality is superior than that of the past. problem is there is no evidence for that.
Cameron said:It's very comfortable to feel smug and think you know all the answers, but the truth is, we don't. Based upon personal experiences, I do believe in a superior being that I refer to as "God." I am a practicing christian. But the Bible can confuse me as much as it does anybody. What I do know for sure is that there is an abundance of mystery in what we call "life" and that the only way I can live productively is to be thankful for what I have, and not worry about an end. The end may very well be a new beginning, or not. Whatever and whenever it happens, we have no control over it, so why worry?
