Capitalism Doesn’t Make Us Rich, and Socialism Doesn’t Make Us Poor — Socialism Makes Us Rich, and Capitalism Makes Us Poor.
I agree with Umar, social democracy (he calls it socialism) has liberated Europeans. The liberty Ron Paul talks about is the freedom of the few to be able to exploit and enslave the many.
In Europe, though, the story was very, very different. Socialism, not capitalism, organized the provision of the essentials of life — and both paid people fairly and protected them carefully, in the very jobs of providing things like healthcare, education, finance, retirement, media, transport, and childcare to one another. The result is that people grew richer over time. Their incomes grew into accumulated savings, and their net worth rose. They began to live with a genuine feeling of safety and security and happiness. Europeans were liberated — not immiserated.
Hence, today, most Europeans look at Americans, and can’t bring themselves to imagine — really, can’t quite understand — how someone in a nominally rich country would have to choose between their own chemotherapy or insulin, or their childrens’ healthcare, food, or shelter.
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Great article but not one mention of ethical finance.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, it seems, government privileges for usury cartels are seen as the only alternative to needlessly expensive fiat, high interest rates and ruinous deflation - when they are not.
Sadly, MMT advocates don't seem to realize this either.
Nice to see you back, Andrew.
DeleteI see Franko is blaming the victims of injustice for resorting to alcohol (or alcohol itself) but the Bible, the Old Testament no less, says this:
ReplyDeleteGive strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to him whose life is bitter.
Let him drink and forget his poverty
And remember his trouble no more.
Open your mouth for the mute,
For the rights of all the unfortunate.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy Proverbs 31:6-9 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Justice is what will decrease the need for people to escape misery via drugs and alcohol and neither privileges for usury cartels nor wage slavery to government to supplement wage slavery to the private sector is justice.
Such a brilliant analysis. Everyone knows that a society with a trillion dollar military budget, a modern fiat funny money system and over 4 trillion dollars in annual federal spending is exactly what Ron Paul prescribes and is therefore a good example of how it doesn't work. In addition to your honesty, you guys are geniuses.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the USA does not have a free market in medical care. Therefore, capitalism did not cause the problems of healthcare in the USA.
ReplyDelete