Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Not to worry.

There are no true pure capitalist or marxist economies, and there probably never has been

Every economy in the world is a mixed economy, with both capitalist and socialist aspects. The USA is unquestionably the most capitalist of the large economies in the world, but there is still quite a bit of socialism in our system.

We're in general agreement on how finding the sweet spot between the two maximizes the general good. In America, for approximately the last 100 years, that sweet spot has been an economy that is roughly 20% government spending, 80% private sector. And aside from that, of course an economy even a fraction the size of America's couldn't function without an extensive regulatory and commercial law infrastructure. There needs to anti trust laws to allow the market to work at optimal efficiency. There needs to be laws against fraud and otehr business crimes. There needs to arbitration for grievances. Further, a central banking system and Treasury dept are needed to control the money supply.

There's obviously a lot more going on than pure unmoored capitalism.

So we are generally in agreement except of course your persistent insistence that economic laws are human contrivences and not natural realities in the world. My offer stands to buy you the economics course. If you took it, at some point, maybe right away, maybe when you're done with the course, maybe two years later, but at some point, you will have an epiphany and see the world for the first time through a different lens. It won't change your politics, it didn't change Marx's, but you will understand the how things really work.

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (19 posts)

Related discussions