Capitalism exists to oppress the bottom and protect the top - change my mind

[Toddsterpatriot]

They end up paying a lower effective rate than most working Americans

Any proof? Or just a feeling?

 

[Weatherman2020]

Oh yes….the American Dream

Anyone can be a millionaire if they just buckle down and work harder

I grew up in poverty.
Retired in my 50’s a multimillionaire.

 

[Woodznutz]

That’s hilarious. Leftards have destroyed our healthcare system with your socialist crap. Then you blame capitalism for it.

2 million illegals a year vote that capitalism gives the best opportunity for the poor to succeed.

And myself as well. I grew up in poverty (the American version) and retired in my 50’s a multimillionaire.

God Bless capitalism.

Me too. I wore hand-me-downs for years. Shoes stuffed with paper was common. Me at age 9 or 10. Many of us ragmuffins dressed like this in the summer.

I also am a millionaire (just one) but I'm still working at 82.

 

[georgephillip]

No one is forcing anyone to buy their stuff. Look at the employee parking lots of the major American car makers, lots of imported cars there.

I bought an apartment building to fund my retirement. During the 18 years that I owned it I could have bought a half dozen others on my street that came on the market, which would have made me a millionaire several times over by now. I declined the opportunity as I didn't want to leave my full time job, and wasn't interested in working myself to death. Many turn down similar opportunities for a more sane lifestyle. The point is that those opportunities exist everywhere. Taking advantage of them seldom hurts anyone, rather they increase the general wealth and usually provide opportunities for others.

At this time millions of jobs are unfilled while millions of able bodied people stand around with their fingers up their butts waiting for their ship to come in. They have nothing to complain about.

During my 45 years in the labor force small-business owners were among the most hardworking and productive people I met; they were also among the most greedy.

Today I believe the biggest economic threats don't come from those willing to work 80 hours a week and most holidays to acquire a top ten percent income. I do believe it comes from a world-view that most Americans accept without ever recognizing its social costs:

The Divine Right of Capital by Marjorie Kelly

"Today, our worldview has a bias – that stockholders are to be paid as much as possible, while employees are to be paid as little as possible. 'Income for one group is declared good, and income for another group is declared bad.' Nowhere is this more clear than in our financial statements. Here’s the basic formula you’ll find on financial statements..."

 

[Mac1958]

On the right? You Leftards are shutting down kids lemonade stands for not having a business license to sell food.

Another one who doesn't know my politics.

Boring people.

 

[rightwinger]

I grew up in poverty.
Retired in my 50’s a multimillionaire.

 

[Weatherman2020]

Another one who doesn't know my politics.

Boring people.

You defined yourself.

Ironically, many of the Right who claim to love capitalism have perverted it into something that is making many people look for other options. That's because they don't understand it is not an all-or-nothing, binary system.

 

[Weatherman2020]

During my 45 years in the labor force small-business owners were among the most hardworking and productive people I met; they were also among the most greedy.

Today I believe the biggest economic threats don't come from those willing to work 80 hours a week and most holidays to acquire a top ten percent income. I do believe it comes from a world-view that most Americans accept without ever recognizing its social costs:

The Divine Right of Capital by Marjorie Kelly

"Today, our worldview has a bias – that stockholders are to be paid as much as possible, while employees are to be paid as little as possible. 'Income for one group is declared good, and income for another group is declared bad.' Nowhere is this more clear than in our financial statements. Here’s the basic formula you’ll find on financial statements..."

2 million people a year with nothing but the shirts on their backs vote for American capitalism.

 

[Mac1958]

You defined yourself.

But I didn't. Your thought processes are distorted and lead you to make simplistic, ignorant assumptions.

 

[Weatherman2020]

But I didn't. Your thought processes are distorted and lead you to make simplistic, ignorant assumptions.

Your quote is right there and everyone can decide for themselves.

 

[Woodznutz]

During my 45 years in the labor force small-business owners were among the most hardworking and productive people I met; they were also among the most greedy.

Today I believe the biggest economic threats don't come from those willing to work 80 hours a week and most holidays to acquire a top ten percent income. I do believe it comes from a world-view that most Americans accept without ever recognizing its social costs:

The Divine Right of Capital by Marjorie Kelly

"Today, our worldview has a bias – that stockholders are to be paid as much as possible, while employees are to be paid as little as possible. 'Income for one group is declared good, and income for another group is declared bad.' Nowhere is this more clear than in our financial statements. Here’s the basic formula you’ll find on financial statements..."

Masses are made up of individuals. Not everyone has to follow the crowd, which confirms what Kelly opines. The industrial revolution begat mass production, which begat mass marketing, which begat mass consumption, which begat corporate wealth, which begat consumer debt, which begat income and wealth disparity. We need to rethink our values. For example, we have traded away our health for healthcare. Not a good trade.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

that stockholders are to be paid as much as possible,

Owners own, whiners whine.

 

[Mac-7]

Read the post above (92). It is the wealthiest economy. Can it be more fair?

Most people are poor thanks to bad decisions they made or that were made for them

People make a mess of their lives and then use capitalism as the excuse for their condition

 

[Mac-7]

I dunno. The 1920's was the age of robber barons and other incredibly rich people. The disparity of those times gave rise to the widespread unionism that followed the crash and depression.

Actually the union movement began in the 19th Century as America industrialized

But you are correct that the Great Depression hit ordinary working people very hard and I’m sure it boosted union participation

My point is that capitalism does in fact raise all boats but not all boats equally

 

[Mac-7]

Inequity is growing because more people are becoming successful while the others are getting lazier. It has nothing to do with capitalism and everything to do with personal decisions in life.

Wouldnt the vast majority of the 2 million refugees from mexico that biden is bringing in be classified as poor?

Thats imported poverty that must be laid at the feet of bleeding heart anti capitalist libs

 

[georgephillip]

You're right, we should allow the people who never built or owned anything to decide what to produce, where to produce, and how to distribute any surplus.

Exactly.
Those who contribute the majority of surplus labor to production deserve democratic workplaces.

 

[TheGreatSatan]

Without capitalism, everyone is poor.

 

[a1623yankee]

The upper classes are filled with people that started with nothing and worked their way up. Anyone can prosper in America, but it is those who work at it that succeed. Wannabe's or those who won't do the work are the ones who are complaining. If there is a single cause of failure it's that the work ethic has been educated out of our people. Education cannot replace effort, regardless of what we are telling ourselves.

You began your comment with a sentence that is nearly completely false. There is no such thing as "upper classes", merely the lucky of birth or circumstance. It is also rare indeed that they started with nothing. There is such a thing as the 1% of the 1% and it does not necessarily reflect upon the hardest workers. Anyone may prosper in America but achieving the wealth and status of the average 1% is most definitely not attainable simply by hard work and honest values. Regardless of any human's beginnings, attaining the status of the 1% still requires requires the standard operational procedures of criminality wrought with the tools of the 1%er trade.

I interpret your middle and last sentences as an implied direct attack on me and I further construe that you have no idea what you are talking about regarding effort or education and/or rationalizing your own desires, methods and work ethics.

In summary, regarding your comment...total bull shit.

 

[citygator]

Perhaps not. Socialism/Communism only leads to one thing....people who join the party become well-off while everyone else suffers.

It's better that you have a system where a few people fall thru the cracks rather than a system that is designed to dump everyone into the same toilet bowl.

From the ISS you can spot North Korea from orbit. They're the place where at night there's no lights. People are making soup from grass. Starvation is rampant.....yes....a communist utopia.

I’m not advocating socialism or Communism. It’s a common ruse to assign that motivation to anyone asking if there is a more fair way to manage a free market economy than having so many breaks that drive wealth into the top tier only. There has to be a way to drive more fairness without “stealing” or making everyone broke.

 

[a1623yankee]

Without capitalism, everyone is poor.

and with CAPITALISM of the large CORPORATE type, everyone is a slave!