Crony capitalism is just socialism lite

[Some Guy]

Safety" nets would imply that you don't actually want "pure" capitalism

Pure capitalism does not mean you ignore compassion for your fellow man...helping people to help themselves is a enhancement to capitalism...

So you're saying a government program like Medicaid/Welfare, which exists solely outside the economic structure. Got it.

 

[Some Guy]

The government shouldn't be giving money to any industry. To say that any company is too important and thus giving them money is to say "this company is more important than the american people." If they were that important then they wouldn't need any help: people would make sure to go to that company for their products and/or services.

 

[Some Guy]

Brain357 In the interest of keeping this thread pushed up...

Cronyism isn't really socialism-lite as the headline suggests, but the content is good. The thing about socialism is that where it's implemented, it's always successful in achieving it's goal of redistributing the given space's resources to those involved, just not including the entity that's doing the actual re-distributing. Cronyism isn't about that. Cronyism is all about socializing as many costs as possible then privatizing the profits, leaving the majority of the people involved holding the bag. That's what explains the wealth gap widening.

Where they are similar is that you have an authority at the top that's deciding what's happening. Cronyism (speaking economically here) requires a complicit government and a pretty complex and intricate web of misinformation, obfuscation and straight denial of information. As far as the result, socialism just cuts out the bullshit, gives all the power to the government and lets natural forces take over in corrupting the government to live like kings off of society's back. Cronyism is the big money interests bringing the money to the table so they can government can live like kings off society's back. Cronyism is quite a bit better in than socialism in that at least there's still being some money made and at least some of the population is convinced that the system is working for them. Socialism crushes the structure by which the money coming in can be sustained, which quickly crushes the populations' faith in it.

 

[g5000]

Then you don’t support the socialism lite of the repubs? We need to get back to free market capitalism?

I disagree with your narrative...we have not seen pure capitalism in the USA for a very long time....too big too fail for example...
pure capitalism works...of course you need safety nets....secure ones not like the nets we have now....full of holes from abuse and deception...

Tax breaks for donors is not a "safety net".

 

[Rambunctious]

Tax breaks for donors is not a "safety net"

Tax breaks as an economic investment incentive supports the safety net....
Without growth the safety net would not exist...

 

[Tehon]

Then you support socialism lite. You think government intervention is good.

Providing systems to help people help themselves is not socialism...its being smart...

$4 billion tax dollars to a foreign company is socialism.

No it isn't. It's an investment. The government expects to see a return on its investment.

 

[Tehon]

$4 billion tax dollars to a foreign company is socialism

Its an investment....

Like solyndra?

It is socialism. The government is regulating means of production. The gov said Foxconn is going to be here. The market would determine where Foxconn goes in capitalism.

Foxconn is free to go where they want. They are not obligated to take the offer.

 

[Tehon]

Cronyism is all about socializing as many costs as possible then privatizing the profits, leaving the majority of the people involved holding the bag.

Isn't that just good business sense if you're in the business of making profit?

 

[grainbely]

This is a great article. What we need is more free market capitalism, but neither political side are giving us that. The left is talking too much about socialism. The right pretends to be capitalists, when really they are crony capitalists. Unemployment is very low, but wages are still stagnant. We need to move away from these crony policies.

Crony capitalism is just socialism lite

Our politicians like to claim, and might even believe, they are helping markets and growing the economy when they grant special economic privileges. They are actually cheating their constituents out of the benefits of free markets, distorting choices and interfering in decisions with unstable, arbitrary policymaking customized for the privileged elite. They are, on a more limited basis, doing what socialist leaders and bureaucracies have done everywhere socialism has been tried on a mass scale. And the negative results are the same, except that we have a huge economy, much of which is relatively unmolested, that mostly papers them over, at least until the last few decades.

Crony capitalism is socialism lite, and anti-free enterprise. Too many of our leaders, including some who call themselves Reagan Republicans, take part in it. But for those who see socialism as a counter to the elitism they see in capitalist economies, think again. History teaches that, due to socialism’s centralized nature, there is no place more replete with cronyism than one practicing socialism.

Our form of capitalism is the one that doesnt deliver the advertised benefits of capitalism. It's especially easy to criticize the people that are supporting the current contradictive regime.

 

[Stormy Daniels]

Then you don’t support the socialism lite of the repubs? We need to get back to free market capitalism?

I disagree with your narrative...we have not seen pure capitalism in the USA for a very long time....too big too fail for example...
pure capitalism works...of course you need safety nets....secure ones not like the nets we have now....full of holes from abuse and deception...

Pure capitalism. That is an interesting phrase. Entirely meaningless, but interesting nonetheless. I believe the phrase you were looking for was laissez faire capitalism.

 

[Stormy Daniels]

Capitalism is the free exchange of goods and services

Wrong.

 

[Rambunctious]

Pure capitalism. That is an interesting phrase. Entirely meaningless, but interesting nonetheless. I believe the phrase you were looking for was laissez faire capitalism

Sorry your screen name and avatar pic makes it impossible for me to take you seriously....

 

[eagle1462010]

 

[eagle1462010]

I already did a thread on this.

 

[Kosh]

This is a great article. What we need is more free market capitalism, but neither political side are giving us that. The left is talking too much about socialism. The right pretends to be capitalists, when really they are crony capitalists. Unemployment is very low, but wages are still stagnant. We need to move away from these crony policies.

Crony capitalism is just socialism lite

Our politicians like to claim, and might even believe, they are helping markets and growing the economy when they grant special economic privileges. They are actually cheating their constituents out of the benefits of free markets, distorting choices and interfering in decisions with unstable, arbitrary policymaking customized for the privileged elite. They are, on a more limited basis, doing what socialist leaders and bureaucracies have done everywhere socialism has been tried on a mass scale. And the negative results are the same, except that we have a huge economy, much of which is relatively unmolested, that mostly papers them over, at least until the last few decades.

Crony capitalism is socialism lite, and anti-free enterprise. Too many of our leaders, including some who call themselves Reagan Republicans, take part in it. But for those who see socialism as a counter to the elitism they see in capitalist economies, think again. History teaches that, due to socialism’s centralized nature, there is no place more replete with cronyism than one practicing socialism.

So you admit that Obamacare was the worst thing that could have happened to the healthcare system?

 

[Natural Citizen]

So you admit that Obamacare was the worst thing that could have happened to the healthcare system?

Trump's SCOTUS pick, Kavanaugh, told the SCOTUS that Obamacare could be upheld with tax.

His basis is the Anti-Injunction Act of 1867 which states that a tax cannot be challenged until it has been assessed and paid.

 

[Brain357]

$4 billion tax dollars to a foreign company is socialism

Its an investment....

Like solyndra?

It is socialism. The government is regulating means of production. The gov said Foxconn is going to be here. The market would determine where Foxconn goes in capitalism.

Foxconn is free to go where they want. They are not obligated to take the offer.

And they are highly influenced by $4 billion no doubt.

 

[Brain357]

Then you support socialism lite. You think government intervention is good.

Providing systems to help people help themselves is not socialism...its being smart...

$4 billion tax dollars to a foreign company is socialism.

No it isn't. It's an investment. The government expects to see a return on its investment.

They aren't expected to break even on it for 25 years. In 15 years they could be gone, it's a bad investment if that's what you want to call it. Why should they get $4 billion and not some other company? You think the government should be deciding who to throw money at? The free market should decide these things.

Wisconsin wouldn't break even on Foxconn incentives for 25 years, analysis shows

 

[Tehon]

$4 billion tax dollars to a foreign company is socialism

Its an investment....

Like solyndra?

It is socialism. The government is regulating means of production. The gov said Foxconn is going to be here. The market would determine where Foxconn goes in capitalism.

Foxconn is free to go where they want. They are not obligated to take the offer.

And they are highly influenced by $4 billion no doubt.

No doubt, but how does this affect the market exactly?

 

[Brain357]

This is a great article. What we need is more free market capitalism, but neither political side are giving us that. The left is talking too much about socialism. The right pretends to be capitalists, when really they are crony capitalists. Unemployment is very low, but wages are still stagnant. We need to move away from these crony policies.

Crony capitalism is just socialism lite

Our politicians like to claim, and might even believe, they are helping markets and growing the economy when they grant special economic privileges. They are actually cheating their constituents out of the benefits of free markets, distorting choices and interfering in decisions with unstable, arbitrary policymaking customized for the privileged elite. They are, on a more limited basis, doing what socialist leaders and bureaucracies have done everywhere socialism has been tried on a mass scale. And the negative results are the same, except that we have a huge economy, much of which is relatively unmolested, that mostly papers them over, at least until the last few decades.

Crony capitalism is socialism lite, and anti-free enterprise. Too many of our leaders, including some who call themselves Reagan Republicans, take part in it. But for those who see socialism as a counter to the elitism they see in capitalist economies, think again. History teaches that, due to socialism’s centralized nature, there is no place more replete with cronyism than one practicing socialism.

So you admit that Obamacare was the worst thing that could have happened to the healthcare system?

I don't have an answer for the healthcare, do you? The republicans obviously don't. High healthcare costs are suffocating the economy. All the time I talk to people with business ideas, but they can't risk starting something because of healthcare costs.